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Added 10 October 2026

eavesdrop

/ˈiːvzˌdɹɒp/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about eavesdrop at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.
I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal.
To listen for another organism's calls, so as to exploit them.

noun

The dripping of rain from the eaves of a house.
The space around a house on which such water drips.
A concealed aperture through which an occupant of a building can surreptitiously listen to people talking at an entrance to the building.

Origin

From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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