Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

eavesdrop

/ˈivzˌdɹɑp/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.48 in modern English

Syllables: eaves-drop
IPA: /ˈivzˌdɹɑp/

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.

verb

To listen for another organism's calls, so as to exploit them.

noun

The dripping of rain from the eaves of a house.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The space around a house on which such water drips.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A concealed aperture through which an occupant of a building can surreptitiously listen to people talking at an entrance to the building.

Countable

noun

The act of intentionally hearing a conversation not intended to be heard.

Countable

Example Sentences

"I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal."
"You shouldn't eavesdrop, David. I told you: You'll only hear things you'll wish you hadn't."
"[…] Eastern Red Bat will eavesdrop on the sonar calls of other red bats to locate potential insect prey."
"Frog-biting midges also depend on eavesdropping for reproduction, and one would predict similarly strong selection to evolve auditory adaptations for hearing and localizing calls of their hosts."
"Were you having a little eavesdrop on us last night?"

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈivzˌdɹɑp/
British English: /ˈiːvzˌdɹɒp/

Usage

Inflected Forms

eavesdrops (present, singular) eavesdropping (participle, present) eavesdropped (participle, past) eavesdropped (past) eavesdrops (plural)

Derived Forms

eavesdropper eavesread

Frequently Paired Words

monitor surveil tap wiretap

Synonyms

eavesdrip listen in

Questions

How do you pronounce eavesdrop?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈivzˌdɹɑp/.
What does eavesdrop mean?: To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.
Where does eavesdrop come from?: From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.

How to pronounce eavesdrop

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “eavesdrop”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈivzˌdɹɑp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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