Adjacent Words

Gossip definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GOS'SIP, n.
1. A sponsor; one who answers for a child in baptism; a godfather.
2. A tippling companion.
And sometimes lurk I in a gossip's bowl.
3. One who runs from house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler. [This is the sense in which the word is now used.]
4. A friend or neighbor.
5. Mere tattle; idle talk.
GOS'SIP, v.i. To prate; to chat; to talk much.
1. To be a pot-companion.
2. To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: light informal conversation for social occasions [syn: chitchat, chit-chat, chit chat, small talk, gab, gabfest, gossip, tittle-tattle, chin wag, chin- wag, chin wagging, chin-wagging, causerie]
2: a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people; "the divorce caused much gossip" [syn: gossip, comment, scuttlebutt]
3: a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others [syn: gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, rumormonger, rumourmonger, newsmonger] v
1: wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies; "She won't dish the dirt" [syn: dish the dirt, gossip]
2: talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze" [syn: chew the fat, shoot the breeze, chat, confabulate, confab, chitchat, chit-chat, chatter, chaffer, natter, gossip, jaw, claver, visit]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English gossib, from Old English godsibb, from god god + sibb kinsman, from sibb related — more at sib Date: before 12th century 1. a. dialect British godparent b. companion, crony c. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others 2. a. rumor or report of an intimate nature b. a chatty talk c. the subject matter of gossip • gossipry noun II. intransitive verb Date: 1627 to relate gossip • gossiper noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a easy or unconstrained talk or writing esp. about persons or social incidents. b idle talk; groundless rumour. 2 an informal chat, esp. about persons or social incidents. 3 a person who indulges in gossip. --v.intr. (gossiped, gossiping) talk or write gossip. Phrases and idioms: gossip column a section of a newspaper devoted to gossip about well-known people. gossip columnist a regular writer of gossip columns. gossip-monger a perpetrator of gossip. Derivatives: gossiper n. gossipy adj. Etymology: earlier sense 'godparent': f. OE godsibb person related to one in GOD: see SIB

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gossip Gos"sip, n. [OE. gossib, godsib, a relation or sponsor in baptism, a relation by a religious obligation, AS. godsibb, fr. god + sib alliance, relation; akin to G. sippe, Goth. sibja, and also to Skr. sabh[=a] assembly.] 1. A sponsor; a godfather or a godmother. Should a great lady that was invited to be a gossip, in her place send her kitchen maid, 't would be ill taken. --Selden. 2. A friend or comrade; a companion; a familiar and customary acquaintance. [Obs.] My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal. --Shak. 3. One who runs house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler. The common chat of gossips when they meet. --Dryden. 4. The tattle of a gossip; groundless rumor. Bubbles o'er like a city with gossip, scandal, and spite. --Tennyson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gossip Gos"sip, v. t. To stand sponsor to. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gossip Gos"sip, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Gossiped; p. pr. & vb. n. Gossiping.] 1. To make merry. [Obs.] --Shak. 2. To prate; to chat; to talk much. --Shak. 3. To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(gossips, gossiping, gossiped) 1. Gossip is informal conversation, often about other people's private affairs. There has been much gossip about the possible reasons for his absence... Don't you like a good gossip? N-UNCOUNT: also a N 2. If you gossip with someone, you talk informally, especially about other people or local events. You can also say that two people gossip. We spoke, debated, gossiped into the night... Eva gossiped with Sarah... Mrs Lilywhite never gossiped. V-RECIP: pl-n V, V with n, V (non-recip) 3. If you describe someone as a gossip, you mean that they enjoy talking informally to people about the private affairs of others. He was a vicious gossip. N-COUNT [disapproval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Tattler, babbler, chatterer, gadabout, idle talker. 2. Chat, chit-chat, tattle, prate, prattle, cackle, clack, small talk , idle talk. II. v. n. Chat, tattle, prate, prattle, gabble, clack, cackle, talk idly.

Foolish Dictionary

Derived either from the Grk. gups, vulture, or Fr. gosier, wind-pipe. Hence, a vulture that tears its prey to bits, or an exercise of the wind-pipe from which every victim gets a blow.

Moby Thesaurus

Paul Pry, Peeping Tom, a tale-bearing animal, account, ace, amigo, associate, babble, babblement, back-fence gossip, banter, bavardage, be closeted with, bedfellow, bedmate, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blabbermouth, blah-blah, blather, blatherskite, blether, blethers, bosom buddy, bruit, buddy, bunkie, bunkmate, busybody, butty, buzz, cackle, camarade, caquet, caqueterie, chamberfellow, chat, chatter, chatterbox, chitchat, chitter-chatter, chronicle, chum, clack, classmate, clatter, colleague, comate, companion, company, compeer, comrade, confrere, consociate, consort, conversation, copartner, coze, crony, cry, dither, dope, eavesdropper, fellow, fellow student, flibbertigibbet, gab, gabble, gam, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, girl friend, go on, gossip columnist, gossiper, gossiping, gossipmonger, gossipmongering, gossipry, grapevine, groundless rumor, guff, gup, gush, haver, hearsay, hint, hot air, idle talk, imply, information, inquirer, inquisitive, inquisitor, insinuate, intimate, jabber, jaw, make conversation, mate, mere talk, messmate, natter, newsmonger, newsmongering, newspaperman, nonsense talk, nosy Parker, old crony, on dit, on-dit, pal, palaver, pard, pardner, partner, patter, piece of gossip, playfellow, playmate, poop, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, pry, querier, querist, questioner, quidnunc, ramble on, rattle, rattle on, reel off, reporter, retail gossip, roommate, rubberneck, rubbernecker, rumble, rumor, rumormonger, run on, scandal, scandalmonger, schoolfellow, schoolmate, scopophiliac, scuttlebutt, shipmate, side partner, sidekick, sieve, sightseer, small talk, snoop, snooper, spout, spout off, story, suggest, tabby, tale, talebearer, talebearing, taleteller, taletelling, talk, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tattle, tattler, tattletale, teammate, tell idle tales, telltale, tete-a-tete, tittle-tattle, tittle-tattler, twaddle, twattle, visit, voyeur, waffle, whisper, word, workfellow, yak, yakkety-yak, yenta, yokefellow, yokemate