scuttlebutt
[ skuht-l-buht ]
/ ˈskʌt lˌbʌt /
noun
Nautical.
- an open cask of drinking water.
- a drinking fountain for use by the crew of a vessel.
Informal. rumor or gossip.
Nearby words
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for scuttlebutt
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
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Word Origin and History for scuttlebutt
scuttlebutt
1805, "cask of drinking water kept on a ship's deck, having a hole (scuttle) cut in it for a cup or dipper," from scuttle "opening in a ship's deck" (see scuttle (v.2)) + butt (n.2) "barrel." Earlier scuttle cask (1777). Meaning "rumor, gossip" first recorded 1901, originally nautical slang, traditionally said to be from the sailors' custom of gathering around the scuttlebutt to gossip. Cf. water-cooler, figurative for "workplace gossip" mid-20c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper