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eaves·drop·ping | \ ˈēvz-ˌdrä-piŋ 
\
\Definition of eavesdropping
: the act of secretly listening to something private
Highly sophisticated means of electronic eavesdropping were developed and put into use, largely uncontrolled by the law.— Wayne R. LaFave & Jerold H. Israel For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.— Rick Riordan
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Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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Time Traveler for eavesdropping
The first known use of eavesdropping was in 1641
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