Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A vine on which grapes grow.
  • noun The informal transmission of information, gossip, or rumor from person to person.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A vine or climbing shrub, of the genus Vitis, having small green flowers and lobed leaves, and bearing the fruit called grapes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The plant, a vine of genus Vitis, on which grapes grow
  • noun A rumor
  • noun An informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip.
  • noun skating A move in which the feet are alternately placed in front of each other, while both remaining on the ice or ground, incorporating half-turns.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of numerous woody vines of genus Vitis bearing clusters of edible berries
  • noun gossip spread by spoken communication

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

grape +‎ vine

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Examples

  • Rachel, most of these peer workshops are by invitation, so the grapevine is the way to learn about them.

    Learning to fly solo « 2009

  • "Watch me!" cried Ted, as he began doing what he called a grapevine twist.

    The Curlytops and Their Playmates or Jolly Times Through the Holidays Howard Roger Garis 1917

  • Word on the grapevine is that the Canadian media is getting ready for the massive feeding frenzy that will be the 100th Canadian soldier death in Afghanistan, a galvanizing moment for the anti-war leftist propagandists who will use the triple digit statistic to fast track our abandonment of Afghanistan.

    The Afghan War Will Be Won And Lost On Media Propaganda « Unambiguously Ambidextrous 2008

  • I hear via the grapevine from the hurricane experts at RSMS that the envelope of possibilities stretches up to a category three hurricane, which would be a pretty nasty one.

    Discourse.net: Fay 2008

  • Word on the grapevine is that the Canadian media is getting ready for the massive feeding frenzy that will be the 100th Canadian soldier death in Afghanistan, a galvanizing moment for the anti-war leftist propagandists who will use the triple digit statistic to fast track our abandonment of Afghanistan.

    2008 September 16 « Unambiguously Ambidextrous 2008

  • PS – Word on the Hip-O grapevine is that a long-awaited (I knew of it being in the planning stages a year ago!) “Supremes Lost & Found” is coming later this month or at the beginning of February.

    Hitsville U.S.A. : Scrubbles.net 2008

  • However, the prison grapevine is remarkably effective and Langham's presence will be known from day one.

    Langham In Danger Newmania 2007

  • However, the prison grapevine is remarkably effective and Langham's presence will be known from day one.

    Archive 2007-09-09 Newmania 2007

  • Word on the grapevine is that Podshow's contract locks its participants into Podshow for all podcasting activity two or three years (reports on the duration vary).

    Adam Curry Correction + Podcast Ownership Ben Barren 2006

  • Through the grapevine is pretty much how the club has been picking up members as it rolled along after it got started by Caris Lim, a Swiss woman married to a Malaysian.

    Fiction and Friends Sharon Bakar 2004

Comments

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  • Grapevines think alike.

    June 15, 2008

  • "People say believe half of what you see

    Son, and none of what you hear..."

    -Marvin Gaye

    Good advice.

    June 15, 2008

  • Oh funny--I always heard that as "some or none of what you hear."

    January 19, 2011

  • There's a list for that, I'm pretty certain.

    January 19, 2011