: to listen secretly to what is being said in private without the consent of the speaker — compare bug, wiretap. Other Words from eavesdrop. eavesdropper noun.

What is example of eavesdropping?

To eavesdrop is defined as to listen secretly to the private conversation of other people. An example of eavesdrop is to listen to your neighbors' argument through a vent in your apartment.

Why do we say eavesdropping?

Eavesdrop started off literally: first it referred to the water that fell from the eaves of a house, then it came to mean the ground where that water fell. Eventually, eavesdropper described someone who stood within the eavesdrop of a house to overhear a conversation inside.