grapevine

¹

[greyp-vahyn]

noun

1. a vine that bears grapes.

2. Also called grapevine telegraph. a person-to-person method of spreading rumors, gossip, information, etc., by informal or unofficial conversation, letter writing, or the like.

3. a private or secret source of information.

Grapevine

²

[greyp-vahyn]

noun

1. a town in N Texas.

grapevine

/ ˈɡreɪpˌvaɪn /

noun

1. any of several vitaceous vines of the genus Vitis, esp V. vinifera of E Asia, widely cultivated for its fruit (grapes): family Vitaceae

2. informal,  an unofficial means of relaying information, esp from person to person

3. a wrestling hold in which a wrestler entwines his own leg around his opponent's and exerts pressure against various joints

Word History and Origins

Origin of grapevine¹

1645–55; 1860–65, grapevine for def. 2; grape + vine

Example Sentences

The parachutes floated down toward the coastline, not far from a cluster of makeshift tents, grapevines, fig trees and the outer edge of residential buildings.

From Los Angeles Times

Workers — many undocumented — fled, some going into the fields, hiding beneath grapevines or climbing up date palm trees.

From Los Angeles Times

Again, no one knows for sure, but the grapevine says that Mercedes are ahead.

From BBC

The vase is a rare underglaze decorated with two squirrels hiding in a fruiting grapevine.

From BBC

Blake: I thought it was interesting, and maybe a tad implausible, that word of Tanya’s death hadn’t gotten back to Belinda, either through news reports or the White Lotus grapevine.

From Los Angeles Times