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• grapevine
  grapevine

  noun

  a vine that bears grapes.
• Grapevine
  Grapevine

  noun

  a town in N Texas.

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

"We wouldn't encourage willingly driving your vehicle into the water," said Katharina Gamboa of the Grapevine Police Department, in comments reported by the BBC's US news partner CBS News.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

The event, organized by the American Conservative Union, launched with an international summit on March 25, 2026, and runs through March 28 in Grapevine, Texas.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Along the Interstate 5 corridor near the Grapevine, early California poppies are already appearing, even though a full bloom usually does not arrive until late April or early May.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

“Tastefully updated 1,685-square-foot single-family home in the heart of Grapevine, famously known as Post Malone’s childhood home,” the listing notes.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

The latter was directed to cross the Chickahominy with all his force by the Grapevine Bridge, and to pursue with eagerness.

From The Long Roll by Johnston, Mary