spat vs dispute

spat and dispute both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
spat	Yes	No	Yes	No
dispute	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, dispute is a hypernym of spat; that is, dispute is a word with a broader meaning than spat:

Other hypernyms of spat include altercate, argufy, quarrel, scrap.

spat (noun)	dispute (noun)
a young oyster or other bivalve	coming into conflict with
a cloth covering (a legging) that covers the instep and ankles	a disagreement or argument about something important
a quarrel about petty points

spat (verb)	dispute (verb)
clap one's hands together	take exception to
spawn	have a disagreement over something
engage in a brief and petty quarrel
clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
strike with a sound like that of falling rain
become permanently attached
come down like raindrops