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

The Upper Galilee Mountain range of Israel is 1,000 meters above sea level, and an ideal location for cultivating grapevines. —Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024

News on the luxury grapevine lifted shares of Burberry and EssilorLuxottica yesterday amid speculation that two major industry deals are underway. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024

And in 2019, nine workers were sickened while removing unwanted shoots from grapevines inside a greenhouse, according to an OSHA report. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

Visitors can stroll through the vineyard and choose a grapevine to adopt. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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