What does eavesdrop mean?
To eavesdrop means to listen secretly and intentionally to a private conversation without the knowledge or permission of the people involved, whether by lurking nearby, hiding behind a door, or intercepting electronic communications such as phone calls. Unlike simply overhearing something by chance, eavesdropping implies a deliberate act of snooping, which gives the word a distinctly negative connotation of intrusiveness and betrayal of privacy. It is used both in casual contexts — children eavesdropping on their parents from the stairs — and in serious ones, such as illegal wiretapping or corporate espionage, where 'electronic eavesdropping' is a standard term. Grammatically it is an intransitive verb followed by the preposition 'on', with derived forms including 'eavesdropper' and 'eavesdropping'. The word has a vivid origin: it derives from 'eavesdrop', the Old English term for the ground where rainwater drips from a roof's edge, since a listener standing there was close enough to hear voices within the house.
To listen secretly and deliberately to a private conversation without the knowledge or consent of those speaking, especially by hiding or positioning oneself nearby, or to intercept private communications electronically.
"Reporters accused the government of using software to eavesdrop on journalists' phone calls."
Intransitive; normally followed by 'on'. Often appears in the gerund after verbs like 'catch' or 'accuse of'.
A rare noun form referring either to the water dripping from the eaves of a roof, or (in older usage) to the act of eavesdropping.
"Rainwater collected in the eavesdrop along the cottage's stone foundation."
This noun sense is archaic or technical; the everyday noun for the activity is 'eavesdropping'.
Applies only to the rare literal noun sense (the drips of water from the eaves). The verbal activity is expressed with the uncountable gerund 'eavesdropping', which has no plural.
"The old timber-framed house still shows the marks of centuries of eavesdrops along its base."
The word comes from 'eavesdrop' — the water that drips off a roof's edge — because an eavesdropper was someone who stood close enough to a house to be under its dripping eaves, close enough to hear what was said inside.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eavesdrop
The word 'eavesdrop' originates from Old English 'efesdrippe' (later Middle English 'evesdrop'), meaning the drip of water from the eaves of a roof, or the strip of ground onto which it fell. In the sixteenth century, the compound gave rise to the noun 'eavesdropper' for someone who stood under another's eaves — literally within earshot of the household — to spy on conversations, and the verb 'eavesdrop' developed from this noun shortly afterwards. The word is thus native to English rather than borrowed, and its concrete architectural origin remains visible in the modern spelling.
Related word forms
How eavesdrop is actually used
Eavesdropping carries a strongly negative connotation of intrusiveness or impropriety — it suggests deliberate snooping rather than accidental overhearing. It is common in everyday speech as well as in legal and technical contexts (electronic eavesdropping). The verb takes the preposition 'on': one eavesdrops *on* a conversation, not *a* conversation directly. It functions primarily as an intransitive verb; passive and gerund forms ('caught eavesdropping') are frequent in real usage.
Easily confused with eavesdrop
Overhearing is unintentionally hearing something not meant for you, while eavesdropping implies deliberately and secretly listening.