An archaic spelling of 'eavesdropping,' the act of secretly listening to other people's private conversations without their permission.
Present participle form of the archaic 'eavedrop,' combining 'eaves' with 'dropping.' The practice was so common in medieval times it became a specific legal term.
Eavesdropping was such a problem in medieval England that laws actually protected the space around buildings where people legally couldn't stand and listen — creating the first 'privacy zones.'
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