eaves·drop·ping
| \ ˈēvz-ˌdrä-piŋ
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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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“Eavesdropping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eavesdropping. Accessed 13 May. 2021.
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Time Traveler for eavesdropping
The first known use of eavesdropping was in 1641
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