eavesdrop

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“
With that the orchestra stopped dead as if on purpose to eavesdrop, and

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Definitions (7)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. intransitive verb To listen secretly to the private conversation of others.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Not wanting to eavesdrop, she stepped away, catching only the snippet of a comment Dean made. —  One-ClickBuy:SeptemberHarlequinBlaze
  • Tess tried to eavesdrop, but Alison wanted to chat. —  Lippman, Laura - [Tess Monaghan 01] - Baltimore Blues
  • She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, until she heard her name spoken. —  Garwood, Julie - The Wedding
  • After a murder they go into the crowd and eavesdrop, ask questions. —  Death of a Blue Movie Star
  • Not to eavesdrop-he wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying-but simply to listen to the unaccustomed sound. —  Chapter1Rabbit
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This word has been looked up 94 times.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Used in the same contextWord Family

eavesdrop:   eavesdropping
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Probably back-formation from eavesdropper, one who eavesdrops, from Middle English evesdropper, from evesdrop, place where water falls from the eaves, from Old English yfesdrype; see upo in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Early modern English also evesdrop (and eavedrop); from eaves-drop, n.
 

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/ˈivzdrɑp/
by American Heritage

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