eavesdrop
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eavesdrop
- /ˈiːvzˌdɹɒp/ UK
- /ˈivzˌdɹɑp/ US
Where it comes from
From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.
verb eavesdrops · eavesdropping · eavesdropped
- 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. […] Eastern Red Bat will eavesdrop on the sonar calls of other red bats to locate potential insect prey.
noun eavesdrops
- 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.
- The act of intentionally hearing a conversation not intended to be heard. Were you having a little eavesdrop on us last night?
Similar: eavesdrip
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: eavesdrip
Translations
Every language
verb to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
| Español | escuchar disimuladamente, escuchar escondidamente, escuchar furtivamente, escuchar recatadamente, escuchar cautelosamente |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 엿듣다 yeotdeutda |
| 日本語 | 立ち聞きする tachigiki suru |
| 中文 | 偷聽 /偷听 tōutīng, 竊聽 /窃听 qiètīng, 聽牆根 /听墙根 tīng qiánggēn |
| हिन्दी | अनकना anaknā |
| Português | ouvir/escutar escondido |
| Français | être aux écoutes, écouter secrètement, écouter discrètement |
| Deutsch | belauschen, horchen, lauschen, abhören, zuhören |
| Italiano | origliare |
| Ελληνικά | κρυφακούω kryfakoúo |
| Română | trage cu urechea |
| Русский | подслу́шивать podslúšivatʹ, подслу́шать podslúšatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | nghe lén, nghe trộm |
| العربية | تَنَصَّتَ tanaṣṣata, تَسَمَّعَ tasammaʕa |
| עברית | צוֹתֵת tsotét |
noun dripping of rain from the eaves of a house
| Italiano | sgocciolatoio, sgocciolio |
|---|
noun space around a house on which such water drips
| Français | chéneau |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Traufe, Trauflinie |
| Italiano | sgocciolatoio |
noun concealed aperture through which an occupant can surreptitiously listen to people
| Deutsch | lauschen |
|---|
Talk about this word "eavesdrop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/eavesdrop. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. eavesdrop. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/eavesdrop "eavesdrop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/eavesdrop.Cite this
@misc{eavesdrop_2026,
title = {eavesdrop},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/eavesdrop},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
