Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
Eau Claire
eau de cologne
eau de nil
eau de toilette
eau de vie
eaves
eaves spout
eaves trough
eavesdrop
EB virus
eba
ebb
ebb tide
Ebbw Vale
EBCDIC
Ebionite
EBIT
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "eavesdrop" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

eavesdrop

eaves·drop [ vz dròp ] (past and past participle eaves·dropped, present participle eaves·drop·ping, 3rd person present singular eaves·drops)


intransitive verb 
Definition:
 
listen secretly: to listen to a conversation without the speakers being aware of it

[Early 17th century. Probably back-formation < eavesdropper< obsolete eavesdrop "ground on which rainwater thrown off by eaves falls"; from standing in this area trying to hear private conversations]

eaves·drop·per noun
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft