Gossip

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: gos=sip

CIDE DICTIONARY

Gossip, n. [OE. gossib, godsib, a relation or sponsor in baptism, a relation by a religious obligation, AS. godsibb, fr. god + sib alliance, relation; akin to G. sippe, Goth. sibja, and also to Skr. sabhā assembly.].

•  A sponsor; a godfather or a godmother.  [1913 Webster]

  "Should a great lady that was invited to be a gossip, in her place send her kitchen maid, 't would be ill taken."  [1913 Webster]
•  A friend or comrade; a companion; a familiar and customary acquaintance.  [1913 Webster]

  "My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal."  [1913 Webster]
•  One who runs house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler.  [1913 Webster]

  "The common chat of gossips when they meet."  [1913 Webster]
•  The tattle of a gossip; groundless rumor.  [1913 Webster]

  "Bubbles o'er like a city with gossip, scandal, and spite."  [1913 Webster]

Gossip, v. t. 

 To stand sponsor to.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Gossip, v. i. 

•  To make merry.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To prate; to chat; to talk much.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Gossip, n. & v.
--n.
1 a easy or unconstrained talk or writing esp. about persons or social incidents. b idle talk; groundless rumour.
2 an informal chat, esp. about persons or social incidents.
3 a person who indulges in gossip.
--v.intr. (gossiped, gossiping) talk or write gossip.

Idiom

gossip column a section of a newspaper devoted to gossip about well-known people. gossip columnist a regular writer of gossip columns. gossip-monger a perpetrator of gossip.

Derivative

gossiper n. gossipy adj.

Etymology

earlier sense 'godparent': f. OE godsibb person related to one in GOD: see SIB

THESAURUS

Gossip

Paul Pry, Peeping Tom, a tale-bearing animal, account, ace, amigo, associate, babble, babblement, back-fence gossip, banter, bavardage, be closeted with, bedfellow, bedmate, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blabbermouth, blah-blah, blather, blatherskite, blether, blethers, bosom buddy, bruit, buddy, bunkie, bunkmate, busybody, butty, buzz, cackle, camarade, caquet, caqueterie, chamberfellow, chat, chatter, chatterbox, chitchat, chitter-chatter, chronicle, chum, clack, classmate, clatter, colleague, comate, companion, company, compeer, comrade, confrere, consociate, consort, conversation, copartner, coze, crony, cry, dither, dope, eavesdropper, fellow, fellow student, flibbertigibbet, gab, gabble, gam, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, girl friend, go on, gossip columnist, gossiper, gossiping, gossipmonger, gossipmongering, gossipry, grapevine, groundless rumor, guff, gup, gush, haver, hearsay, hint, hot air, idle talk, imply, information, inquirer, inquisitive, inquisitor, insinuate, intimate, jabber, jaw, make conversation, mate, mere talk, messmate, natter, newsmonger, newsmongering, newspaperman, nonsense talk, nosy Parker, old crony, on dit, on-dit, pal, palaver, pard, pardner, partner, patter, piece of gossip, playfellow, playmate, poop, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, pry, querier, querist, questioner, quidnunc, ramble on, rattle, rattle on, reel off, reporter, retail gossip, roommate, rubberneck, rubbernecker, rumble, rumor, rumormonger, run on, scandal, scandalmonger, schoolfellow, schoolmate, scopophiliac, scuttlebutt, shipmate, side partner, sidekick, sieve, sightseer, small talk, snoop, snooper, spout, spout off, story, suggest, tabby, tale, talebearer, talebearing, taleteller, taletelling, talk, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tattle, tattler, tattletale, teammate, tell idle tales, telltale, tete-a-tete, tittle-tattle, tittle-tattler, twaddle, twattle, visit, voyeur, waffle, whisper, word, workfellow, yak, yakkety-yak, yenta, yokefellow, yokemate

ROGET THESAURUS

Gossip

Loquacity

N loquacity, loquaciousness, talkativeness, garrulity, multiloquence, much speaking, jaw, gabble, jabber, chatter, prate, prattle, cackle, clack, twaddle, twattle, rattle, caquet, caquetterie, blabber, bavardage, bibble-babble, gibble-gabble, small talk, fluency, flippancy, volubility, flowing, tongue, flow of words, flux de bouche, flux de mots, copia verborum, cacoethes loquendi, furor loquendi, verbosity, gift of the gab, talker, chatterer, chatterbox, babbler, rattle, ranter, sermonizer, proser, driveler, blatherskite, gossip, magpie, jay, parrot, poll, Babel, moulin a paroles, loquacious, talkative, garrulous, linguacious, multiloquous, largiloquent, chattering, chatty, declamatory, open-mouthed, fluent, voluble, glib, flippant, long tongued, long winded, trippingly on the tongue, glibly, off the reel, the tongue running fast, the tongue running loose, the tongue running on wheels, all talk and no cider, foul whisperings are abroad, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!.

VB be loquacious, talk glibly, pour forth, patter, prate, palaver, prose, chatter, prattle, clack, jabber, jaw, blather, blatter, blether, rattle, rattle on, twaddle, twattle, babble, gabble, outtalk, talk oneself out of breath, talk oneself hoarse, expatiate, gossip, din in the ears, talk at random, talk nonsense, be hoarse with talking.

Conversation

N conversation, interlocution, collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse, oral communication, commerce, dialogue, duologue, trialogue, causerie, chat, chitchat, small talk, table talk, teatable talk, town talk, village talk, idle talk, tattle, gossip, tittle-tattle, babble, babblement, tripotage, cackle, prittle-prattle, cancan, on dit, talk of the town, talk of the village, conference, parley, interview, audience, pourparler, tete-a-tete, reception, conversazione, congress, powwow, hall of audience, durbar, palaver, debate, logomachy, war of words, gossip, tattler, Paul Pry, tabby, chatterer, interlocutor, conversationist, dialogist, the feast of reason and the flow of soul, mollia tempora fandi, conversing, interlocutory, conversational, conversable, discursive, discoursive, chatty, colloquial, with thee conversing I forget all time, conversation, interlocution, collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse, oral communication, commerce, dialogue, duologue, trialogue, causerie, chat, chitchat, small talk, table talk, teatable talk, town talk, village talk, idle talk, tattle, gossip, tittle-tattle, babble, babblement, tripotage, cackle, prittle-prattle, cancan, on dit, talk of the town, talk of the village, conference, parley, interview, audience, pourparler, tete-a-tete, reception, conversazione, congress, powwow, hall of audience, durbar, palaver, debate, logomachy, war of words, gossip, tattler, Paul Pry, tabby, chatterer, interlocutor, conversationist, dialogist, the feast of reason and the flow of soul, mollia tempora fandi, conversing, interlocutory, conversational, conversable, discursive, discoursive, chatty, colloquial, with thee conversing I forget all time.

VB talk together, converse, confabulate, hold on a conversation, carry on a conversation, join in a conversation, engage in a conversation, put in a word, shine in conversation, bandy words, parley, palaver, chat, gossip, tattle, prate, powwow, discourse with, confer with, commune with, commerce with, hold converse, hold conference, hold intercourse, talk it over, be closeted with, talk with one in private, tete-a-tete.

Curiosity

N curiosity, interest, thirst for knowledge, thirst for truth, curiosity, curiousness, inquiring mind, inquisitiveness, omnivorous intellect, devouring mind, inquirer, sightseer, quidnunc, newsmonger, Paul Pry, eavesdropper, gossip, rubberneck, intellectual, seeker, seeker after truth, curious, inquisitive, burning with curiosity, overcurious, inquiring, prying, snoopy, nosy, peering, prurient, inquisitorial, inquisitory, curious as a cat, agape, what's the matter? what next? consumed with curios, curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back, curiouser and curiouser.

News

N news, information, piece of news, budget of news, budget of information, intelligence, tidings, word, advice, aviso, message, dispatch, despatch, telegram, cable, marconigram, wire, communication, errand, embassy, report, rumor, hearsay, on dit, flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame, talk, oui dire, scandal, eavesdropping, town tattle, table talk, tittle tattle, canard, topic of the day, idea afloat, bulletin, fresh news, stirring news, glad tidings, flash, news just in, on-the-spot coverage, live coverage, old story, old news, stale news, stale story, chestnut, narrator, newsmonger, scandalmonger, talebearer, telltale, gossip, tattler, journalism, media, news media, the press, the information industry, newspaper, magazine, tract, journal, gazette, publication, radio, television, ticker (electronic information transmission), United Press International, UPI, Associated Press, AP, The Dow Jones News Service, DJ, The New York Times News Service, NYT, Reuters, TASS, The Nikkei, newscaster, newsman, newswoman, reporter, journalist, correspondent, foreign correspondent, special correspondent, war correspondent, news team, news department, anchorman, anchorwoman, sportscaster, weatherman, press secretary, public relations department, public relations man, many-tongued, rumored, publicly rumored, currently rumored, currently reported, rife, current, floating, afloat, going about, in circulation, in every one's mouth, all over the town, in progress, live, on the spot, in person, as the story goes, as the story runs, as they say, it is said, by telegraph, by wireless, airy tongues that syllable men's names, what's up?, what's the latest?, what's new?, what's the latest poop?.