Dictionary.com

eavesdrop

[ eevz-drop ]
/ ˈivzˌdrɒp /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: eavesdrop / eavesdropping / eavesdropper on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), eaves·dropped, eaves·drop·ping.
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
verb (used with object), eaves·dropped, eaves·drop·ping.
Archaic. to eavesdrop on.
noun Also eaves·drip [eevz-drip]. /ˈivzˌdrɪp/.
water that drips from the eaves.
the ground on which such water falls.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of eavesdrop

before 900; (noun) Middle English evesdrope,evesdripe,Old English yfesdrype; as v., probably back formation from eavesdropper,late Middle English evisdroppyr, apparently literally, one who stands on the eavesdrop in order to listen to conversations inside the house; see eave, drop, drip

OTHER WORDS FROM eavesdrop

eavesdropper, nounan·ti·eaves·drop·ping, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eavesdrop in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eavesdrop

eavesdrop
/ (ˈiːvzˌdrɒp) /

verb -drops, -dropping or -dropped
(intr) to listen secretly to the private conversation of others

Derived forms of eavesdrop

eavesdropper, noun

Word Origin for eavesdrop

C17: back formation from earlier evesdropper, from Old English yfesdrype water dripping from the eaves; see eaves, drop; compare Old Norse upsardropi
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
FEEDBACK