scuttlebutt

[ skuht-l-buht ]

/ ˈskʌt lˌbʌt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for scuttlebutt on Thesaurus.com

noun

Nautical.

an open cask of drinking water.
a drinking fountain for use by the crew of a vessel.

Informal. rumor or gossip.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of scuttlebutt

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

Words nearby scuttlebutt

scutellation, scutellum, scutiform, scutter, scuttle, scuttlebutt, scutum, scutwork, scuzz, scuzzy, Scylla

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use scuttlebutt in a sentence

He’s been fairly quiet about his terrible decision, although some recent scuttlebutt has suggested that he might be willing to get a plant-based vaccine that is currently in development.
Kyrie Irving Is Not the Real Villain Here|Corbin Smith|December 20, 2021|The Daily Beast
We are not encouraged to go into the office, and current scuttlebutt is that we will never go back — or, at most, it would be two days a week.
My company is cutting commuter benefits because of covid. Can I get them back?|Karla Miller|March 25, 2021|Washington Post
That brought a response from John Rutledge, who ran a Florida-based newsletter, The Scuttlebutt.
Pearl Harbor’s Anniversary Sparks Memories of a Long-Ago Dance Contest|Michael Daly|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Rutledge ran a story in The Scuttlebutt, and Patsy got a phone call from man saying he was her sailor.
Pearl Harbor’s Anniversary Sparks Memories of a Long-Ago Dance Contest|Michael Daly|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST

But amid all the celebrity scuttlebutt the paper never quite lost a flair for serious investigative journalism.
Death of a Feared Tabloid|William Underhill|July 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
"Just understand that I don't give a hoot in a scuttlebutt if you do turn me over to the police," pursued the man.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
I was about to lead him aft, but his eye caught sight of a scuttlebutt, and the tin-pot on its head.
Afloat And Ashore|James Fenimore Cooper
I got that from the scuttlebutt, one of the guys who knew him from overseas.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Was there any scuttlebutt or rumor that he shot himself to get out of the service?
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
But any matter, it was pure scuttlebutt; it was pure speculation?
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for scuttlebutt

scuttlebutt

/ (ˈskʌtəlˌbʌt) /

noun nautical

a drinking fountain

(formerly) a cask of drinking water aboard a ship

mainly US slang rumour or gossip

Word Origin for scuttlebutt

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

scuttlebutt

Origin of scuttlebutt

Words nearby scuttlebutt

Words related to scuttlebutt

How to use scuttlebutt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scuttlebutt

Word Origin for scuttlebutt