English Explanatory Dictionary

scuttlebutt

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern ship.
  2. Gossip, idle chatter; also, rumour.
verb
  1. To spread (information) by way of gossip or rumour.
  2. To chat idly or gossip; also, to spread rumours.

Pronunciation

/ˈskʌtəlbʌt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-scuttlebutt.wav /ˈskʌtəlˌbʌt/ [-ɾəl-]

Word forms

scuttlebutt scuttlebutts scuttle-butt scuttlebutting scuttlebutted

Etymology

The noun is derived from scuttle (“to cut a hole through (something)”) + butt (“wooden cask”). Noun sense 2 (“gossip, idle chatter; rumour”) refers to the fact that sailors would gather around the scuttlebutt to drink and exchange gossip; compare furphy and water cooler. The verb is derived from the noun.

Synonyms

scuttle-cask furphy babble bavardage bibble-babble blab blabber blabbing blather blathering chatter chinwag chit-chat claver clepe gabble hot air mardle natter palaver prate prattle scuttlebutt small talk tattle twaddle waffle yackety-yak yap yatter clatfart goss gossip gossipry labrish skeet tale tidbit tittle-tattle twittle-twattle

Related words

water cooler

Derived words

scuttlebutting
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