grapevine

¹ American  

[greyp-vahyn] / ˈgreɪpˌvaɪn /

noun

1. a vine that bears grapes.

2. Also called grapevine telegraph.  a person-to-person method of spreading rumors, gossip, information, etc., by informal or unofficial conversation, letter writing, or the like.

3. a private or secret source of information.

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Grapevine ² American  

[greyp-vahyn] / ˈgreɪpˌvaɪn /

noun

1. a town in N Texas.

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grapevine British  

/ ˈɡreɪpˌvaɪn /

noun

1. any of several vitaceous vines of the genus Vitis, esp V. vinifera of E Asia, widely cultivated for its fruit (grapes): family Vitaceae

2. informal an unofficial means of relaying information, esp from person to person

3. a wrestling hold in which a wrestler entwines his own leg around his opponent's and exerts pressure against various joints

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Etymology

Origin of grapevine

1645–55; 1860–65, grapevine for def. 2; grape + vine

Explanation

The grapevine is a word for gossip. Anything heard on the grapevine was learned by word of mouth. In the Civil War, a grapevine telegraph was a gadget used for communicating. From there, people started talking about "the grapevine" as a source of information, especially gossip. If you heard from a friend of a friend that another friend is getting married, you heard it on the grapevine. If your cousin's cousin told you about a family scandal, you heard it on the grapevine. The grapevine is unofficial and full of hearsay: what you hear might not be accurate.

Example Sentences

Some reporters have gotten Trump’s digits through the grapevine or from colleagues; at least one simply asked him.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

Bill Musgrave, then the Golden Bears’ offensive coordinator, had heard about Mendoza through the coaching grapevine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

What can be said is that the F1 grapevine suggests Mercedes have a small advantage over the other manufacturers on their internal combustion engine performance for 2026 so far.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025

Sometimes the city will learn through the grapevine that a client is in jail.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

He heard from the family grapevine that his gift left her speechless.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman