grapevine

noun grape·vine \ ˈgrāp-ˌvīn \

|Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of grapevine

1 : grape 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

See grapevine defined for English-language learners

See grapevine defined for kids

Recent Examples of grapevine from the Web

Karaoke Skip: Drive one knee up and over the opposite leg as you side skip/grapevine in one direction.

— elizabeth carey, Outside Online, "How to Warm Up for a Run," 10 May 2018
Facebook has launched a thousand metaphors, earning comparisons to a cable company, a railroad, a virtual supranational government, and a grapevine for lies.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "Why Can’t Facebook Tell the Truth?," 10 May 2018
Turn to your grapevine – ask family members and friends for recommendations.

— ashley catherine woods for ascension, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Find the right primary care doctor for you and your loved ones with these 7 steps," 26 Mar. 2018
The best way to share your registry info with guests is also the most old-fashioned: Word of mouth, the old grapevine, a little bird.

— betsy cribb, Southern Living, "How to Politely Notify Guests of a Registry for Your Wedding," 1 May 2018
And word through the grapevine spread that Bulovas had struggled with his accuracy.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "Up and good for Alabama kicker Joseph Bulovas at A-Day game," 21 Apr. 2018
Breaking the movie into distinct acts, Anderson weaves in an abundance of wry humor, such as Goldblum's character always having some titillating new gossip to share that he's picked up via the dog grapevine.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Isle of Dogs' scratches quirky itch with animated fantasy," 22 Mar. 2018
Bennett has 200,000 grapevines, and each of them requires about 6 gallons of water per week.

— zoë schlanger, Newsweek, "California Drought Could Dry Up Wineries," 6 Feb. 2014
With emerald green meadows, hillsides terraced with grapevines, and cranes and falcons flying overhead, Galilee looks nothing like a front line.

— noga tarnopolsky, latimes.com, "The bucolic north of Israel is relatively peaceful for now. But the specter of war is looming," 2 Mar. 2018

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.

First Known Use of grapevine

circa 1736

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Grapevine

geographical name Grape·vine \ ˈgrāp-ˌvīn \

Definition of Grapevine

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

GRAPEVINE Defined for English Language Learners

grapevine

noun

Definition of grapevine for English Language Learners

: a climbing plant on which grapes grow
: an informal way of spreading information or rumors through conversation

Learn More about grapevine

See words that rhyme with grapevine Spanish Central: Translation of grapevine Nglish: Translation of grapevine for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grapevine for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grapevine

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grapevine

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Grapevine

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grapevine

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