scuttlebutt

scut·tle·butt

noun \ˈskə-t^əl-ˌbət\

Definition of SCUTTLEBUTT

1

a : a cask on shipboard to contain freshwater for a day's use b : a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval or marine installation

2

: rumor, gossip

Examples of SCUTTLEBUTT

1. <according to scuttlebutt in the financial markets, the company will be downsizing soon>

Origin of SCUTTLEBUTT

alteration of scuttled butt butt with a hole cut into it

First Known Use: circa 1805

Related to SCUTTLEBUTT

Synonyms: buzz, dish, gossip, hearsay, noise, report, rumor, talk, tattle, word

Related Words: tale, whisper, whispering; hint, intimation, rumbling; disinformation, propaganda; urban legend (also urban myth); dirt, scandal

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Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

Rhymes with SCUTTLEBUTT

betel nut, butternut, coconut, congregate, hazelnut, intercut, Lilliput, occiput, overcut, undercut, uppercut