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.
When did eavesdrop become a word?
This noun dates back to the 9th century and was originally eavesdrip, from the nouns eaves and drip; it was afterwards refashioned after the noun drop.
Is it called eavesdropping or eavesdropping?
Eavesdropping is the act of secretly or stealthily listening to the private conversation or communications of others without their consent in order to gather information.
