scuttlebutt

[ skuht-l-buht ]

/ ˈskʌt lˌbʌt /

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.

Words nearby scuttlebutt

scutellation, scutellum, scutiform, scutter, scuttle, scuttlebutt, scutular, scutulum, scutum, scutwork, scuzz

Origin of scuttlebutt

1795–1805; 1900–05 for def 2; scuttle³ + butt⁴

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for scuttlebutt

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
"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
What was the scuttlebutt about that particular incident, if any?
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

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
Every now and again one or another of them, choked with the dust, went to get a draft of lukewarm water from the scuttlebutt.
A Master of Fortune|Cutcliffe Hyne
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

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

noun

Words related to scuttlebutt

Words nearby scuttlebutt

Origin of scuttlebutt

Examples from the Web for scuttlebutt

British Dictionary definitions for scuttlebutt

noun nautical

Word Origin for scuttlebutt