grapevine

noun

grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

1

: grape sense 2

2

a

: an informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip

heard it through the grapevine

b

: a secret source of information

Examples of grapevine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So when the Israeli evacuation orders drove his family to the Nuseirat refugee camp in October 2023, the shape of his orchard remained mapped in his mind – row upon row of grapevines and grids of fig trees, each 4 yards from its neighbor. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026

The Vitis vinifera varietal (including cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and zinfandel), grafted onto a rootstock that is disease-resistant to phylloxera, is the ideal type of wine grapevine. — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026

Not long after boarding a city bus in central Vienna, the grand buildings and busy streets of Austria’s capital gave way to wooded hills and rows of grapevines. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2026

The destructive pests spread Pierce’s disease, which kills grapevines, and can make homes in numerous other fruits. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grapevine

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline

Kids Definition

grapevine

noun

grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

1

: grape sense 2

2

: an unofficial means of spreading information or gossip from person to person

Geographical Definition

Grapevine

geographical name

Grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

city in northern Texas northeast of Fort Worth