scuttlebutt

[ skuht-l-buht ]
See synonyms for scuttlebutt on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Nautical.

    • an open cask of drinking water.

    • a drinking fountain for use by the crew of a vessel.

  2. Informal. rumor or gossip.

Origin of scuttlebutt

1
1795–1805; 1900–05 for def. 2; scuttle1 + butt4

Words Nearby scuttlebutt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scuttlebutt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scuttlebutt

scuttlebutt

/ (ˈskʌtəlˌbʌt) /


nounnautical
  1. a drinking fountain

  2. (formerly) a cask of drinking water aboard a ship

  1. mainly US slang rumour or gossip

Origin of scuttlebutt

1
C19: from scuttle ³ + butt 4

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012