scuttlebutt
noun
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Scuttlebutt, the Water Cooler Talk of 19th Century Seafarers
When office workers catch up on the latest scuttlebutt around the water cooler, they are continuing a long-standing tradition that probably also occurred on sailing ships of yore. Back in the early 1800s, scuttlebutt (an alteration of scuttled butt) referred to a cask containing a ship’s daily supply of fresh water (scuttle means “to cut a hole through the bottom,” and butt means “cask”); that name was later applied to a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval installation. In time, the term for the water source was also applied to the gossip and rumors disseminated around it, and the latest chatter has been called “scuttlebutt” ever since.
Examples of scuttlebutt in a Sentence
Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
But simmering backlash to The Brutalist’s knottier second act—and, to a lesser extent, some scuttlebutt regarding the use of AI—could do it in; that the feature peaks about halfway through has become something of a prevailing opinion.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
There hasn’t been a lot of public scuttlebutt around infield trade targets, but a deal can come to fruition without rumors getting out beforehand.
—Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
According to Fleming, the scuttlebutt on tour is that Frazier & Johnson are splitting up for 2025, and the break-up starts now.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scuttlebutt
Cite this Entry
“Scuttlebutt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scuttlebutt. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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scuttlebutt
noun
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