grapevine

noun

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grape·vine | \ ˈgrāp-ˌvīn

Definition of grapevine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : grape sense 2

2a : an informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip heard it through the grapevine

b : a secret source of information

Grapevine

geographical name

Grape·vine | \ ˈgrāp-ˌvīn

Definition of Grapevine (Entry 2 of 2)

city in northern Texas northeast of Fort Worth population 46,334

Examples of grapevine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Slabs of meat sizzle over grapevine embers, cheese breads ooze by the dozen, and soup dumplings arrive by the hot, slurpy vatful. — Benjamin Kemper, Bon Appétit, "Turn Your Confounding Produce Into Gorgeous Georgian Pkhali," 2 Feb. 2021 The case of wine, along with 320 sections of grapevine called vine canes, splashed into the Gulf of Mexico inside SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule. — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "Case of Bordeaux Wine Returns to Earth After a Year in Space," 21 Jan. 2021 Because of the segregated nature of our society and the reality of homogenous professional workplaces, the grapevine—intentionally or not—often sustains homogeneity. — Pamela Newkirk, WSJ, "After 2020, How Do We Move Forward on Race?," 14 Dec. 2020 Kendricks was seen on the CBS broadcast grabbing his left calf during a grapevine warmup drill. — Andrew Krammer, Star Tribune, "Pregame injury to linebacker Eric Kendricks forces Vikings defense to scramble," 6 Dec. 2020 But unlike other, more popular rootstocks, St. George later turned out to be resistant to phylloxera, the grapevine louse that wiped out much of California’s wine grape acreage in a 1980s epidemic. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "One of Sonoma's oldest Pinot Noir vineyards has an under-the-radar historic tie to S.F. Victorians," 10 Nov. 2020 To replace a grapevine means a grower might have to wait five extra years before the new vine makes cash-quality wine or three years for table grapes. — Marc Mcandrews, Smithsonian Magazine, "Can Scientists Stop the Plague of the Spotted Lanternfly?," 22 Sep. 2020 By the grapevine, Libby was hearing that other residents were picking around what remained of their houses, and that press and city officials were touring the area, too. — Diana Markosian, National Geographic, "Wildfires took her home. She returned on an outlaw mission to salvage a family treasure," 21 Sep. 2020 Carve out the gourd of your choice, fill it with fall blooms, and add grapevine for even more charm. — Shelby Deering, Better Homes & Gardens, "12 Festive Ways to Feature Fall Pumpkin Decor in Your Home," 10 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grapevine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.