Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🗣️ Rumor or gossip 🍇 A climbing plant 🗣️ To hear rumors
to grapevine

to grapevine

1 6.7
To hear news informally through rumors from other people
  • verb
  • /ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/
  • Informal
translation icon : enterarse por rumores
  • I heard through the grapevine that they are planning a surprise party for her birthday.

Examples

  • He learned about the company's layoffs via the grapevine before any official announcement was made.

  • I grapevine.

    Double Eagle Ranch (2018)

  • Rumors about the new project circulated through the grapevine long before they were confirmed.

Antonyms

to verify
251 3.5

To make sure something is true or correct

Compounds

grapevine family
  • Specialized
5.1

A group of climbing plants like vines that includes grape plants and similar types

How Official

to confirm
∞ 1.8
to hear
∞ 1.0
to grapevine
  • Informal
1 6.7
to overhear
175 1.6
to eavesdrop
23 5.0

Surface Forms

grapevine infinitive
grapevined past
grapevined past participle
grapevining present participle
grapevines third person singular

Morphology

grapevine = grapevine (opaque) = grape + vine

The verb is formed by conversion from the noun 'grapevine', but its meaning depends on the idiomatic sense 'informal rumor network' rather than the literal meanings of 'grape' and 'vine'.

Etymology

Grapevine as a verb comes from the same idea as the noun for gossip. It means to learn or spread news by word of mouth, so when you grapevine you find out things through casual talk rather than official sources.