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

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

The vase is a rare underglaze decorated with two squirrels hiding in a fruiting grapevine.

From BBC • May 11, 2025

The lawsuit is the latest salvo in what’s been a tumultuous dispute over the UFW’s unionization campaign at the nation’s largest grapevine nursery.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2024

I noticed that the wind and rain had unwrapped some of the tinfoil from the grapevine cross.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls