grapevine

noun

grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

1

: grape sense 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

Examples of grapevine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026

This lines up with when colonizing Greeks were believed to have introduced viticulture — cultivating grapevines — to France, after founding the city of Marseille. —CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Through the grapevine, coaches at Arizona Western College learned of Lendeborg. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026

The community grapevine hinted the beauty retailer was taking part of the shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond. —Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grapevine

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

Kids Definition

grapevine

noun

grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

1

: grape sense 2

2

: an unofficial means of spreading information or gossip from person to person

Geographical Definition

Grapevine

geographical name

Grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn 

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