Eavesdropping

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The action of covertly overhearing discussions between individuals to gain information without their awareness
2. The practice of clandestinely listening in on other people's conversations for the purpose of obtaining sensitive details
3. The act of secretly hearing what others say without their knowledge or consent

Etymology: The word "eavesdrop" is the older of the pair, and it describes a physical place before it describes a act of listening. The "eaves" are the edges of a roof that overhang a wall, and in Old English the space beneath them, where rainwater dripped to the ground, was called the "yfes" or "yfesdrype" (eaves-drip). Standing in that narrow strip of ground was the only way to catch the conversation inside a house, so the people who did it were named after the spot where they stood. The verb "eavesdrop" arose from that practice, and the agent noun "eavesdropper" followed it. The word here is "eavesdropping," formed in English by adding the suffix "-ing" to the verb "eavesdrop." That suffix turns the verb into a noun for the act itself, so the word is simply the name of the activity of lurking beneath the eaves. Its ending traces back to Old English "-ung" and the Germanic forms behind it, though the word itself is a plain English compound and nothing more exotic.

Synonyms: overhearing, listening in, snooping, spying, eavesdrop