An archaic or alternate spelling of 'eavesdrop,' meaning to secretly listen to someone else's private conversation.
Variant spelling of 'eavesdrop,' which comes from Middle English 'evesdropper' — someone who stood under the eaves (roof overhang) to listen to conversations inside a house.
The word's origin is literal: medieval eavesdroppers would actually stand in the dripping water beneath a roof's edge to secretly listen to house conversations — hence 'eaves' + 'drop.'
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