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

Thorvald currently treats some 3,000 acres of grapevines in California as the company scales its commercial deployment. — Matt Alderton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

The interior walls are patterned with motifs ranging from grapevines to geometric forms made by impressing food containers into the concrete. — Tim Hornyak, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Set the scene Right away, there's a sense of arrival reminiscent of a city chic hotel with a grand lobby entry distinguished by a long, arched colonnade comprised of iron ceiling panels with a grapevine-like pattern. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

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

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