noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈiːvzˌdɹɒp/
US:/ˈivzˌdɹɑp/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IY1 V Z D R AA2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The dripping of rain from the eaves of a house.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The space around a house on which such water drips.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A concealed aperture through which an occupant of a building can surreptitiously listen to people talking at an entrance to the building.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The act of intentionally hearing a conversation not intended to be heard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
Were you having a little eavesdrop on us last night?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To listen for another organism's calls, so as to exploit them.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
listen without the speaker's knowledge
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the jealous man was eavesdropping on his wife's conversations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: listen in
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: listen
Narrower terms: wiretap, tap, intercept, bug
History
Etymology
From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.
Across languages
Translations
80 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
капчук
(kapčuk)
— dripping of rain from the eaves of a house
Italian:
sgocciolatoio
— dripping of rain from the eaves of a house
Italian:
sgocciolio
— dripping of rain from the eaves of a house
Finnish:
räystäänalunen
— space around a house on which such water drips
French:
chéneau
— space around a house on which such water drips
German:
Traufe
— space around a house on which such water drips
German:
Trauflinie
— space around a house on which such water drips
Italian:
sgocciolatoio
— space around a house on which such water drips
German:
lauschen
— concealed aperture through which an occupant can surreptitiously listen to people
Armenian:
ականջ դնել
(akanǰ dnel)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Armenian:
ականջ կախել
(akanǰ kaxel)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Armenian:
թաքուն լսել
(tʻakʻun lsel)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Asturian:
tresoyer
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Asturian:
esclucar
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Bulgarian:
подслу́швам
(podslúšvam)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Chichewa:
-ba mawu
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Chinese Cantonese:
偷聽 /偷听
(tau1 teng1)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Chinese Mandarin:
偷聽 /偷听
(tōutīng)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Chinese Mandarin:
竊聽 /窃听
(qiètīng)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Chinese Mandarin:
聽牆根 /听墙根
(tīng qiánggēn)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Czech:
odposlouchávat
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Czech:
odposlechnout
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Danish:
smuglytte
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Danish:
aflytte
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Danish:
lytte
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Dutch:
afluisteren
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Dutch:
luistervinken
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Esperanto:
subaŭskulti
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Finnish:
salakuunnella
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
French:
être aux écoutes
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
French:
écouter secrètement
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
French:
écouter discrètement
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
German:
belauschen
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
German:
horchen
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
German:
lauschen
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
German:
abhören
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
German:
zuhören
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Greek:
κρυφακούω
(kryfakoúo)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Hebrew:
צוֹתֵת
(tsotét)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Hindi:
अनकना
(anaknā)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Hungarian:
hallgatózik
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Hungarian:
kihallgat
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Hungarian:
lehallgat
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Irish:
cúléist
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Italian:
origliare
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Japanese:
立ち聞きする
(tachigiki suru)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Khmer:
លួចស្ដាប់
(luǝc sdap)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Korean:
엿듣다
(yeotdeutda)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Macedonian:
прислушкува
(prisluškuva)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Macedonian:
прислушува
(prislušuva)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Manx:
cooyl-eaisht
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Manx:
eaisht gyn yss
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Māori:
whakarongo kōrero
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Norwegian:
overhøre
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Norwegian:
tjuvlytte
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Norwegian:
tyvlytte
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Persian:
فالگوش ایستادن
(fâlguš istâdan)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Persian:
شنود
(šonud)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Persian:
استراق سمع کردن
(esterâq-e sam' kardan)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Polish:
podsłuchiwać
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Polish:
podsłuchać
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Portuguese:
ouvir/escutar escondido
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Romanian:
trage cu urechea
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Russian:
подслу́шивать
(podslúšivatʹ)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Russian:
подслу́шать
(podslúšatʹ)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Scottish Gaelic:
dèan farchluais
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Serbo-Croatian:
prisluškivati
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Slovak:
načúvať
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Slovak:
odpočúvať
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Spanish:
escuchar disimuladamente
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Spanish:
escuchar escondidamente
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Spanish:
escuchar furtivamente
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Spanish:
escuchar recatadamente
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Spanish:
escuchar cautelosamente
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Swedish:
tjuvlyssna
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Thai:
ดักฟัง
(dàk-fang)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Turkish:
kulak misafiri olmak (overhear)
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Turkish:
kulak kabartmak
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Vietnamese:
nghe lén
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
Vietnamese:
nghe trộm
— to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear
