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.

Why is it called eavesdrop?

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.

What does eavesdropping mean in slang?

: to listen secretly to what is said in private.