Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others: the endless gossip about Hollywood stars.
- light, familiar talk or writing.
- Also gos·sip·er, gos·sip·per. a person given to tattling or idle talk.
- Chiefly British Dialect. a godparent.
- Archaic. a friend, especially a woman.
verb (used without object), gos·siped or gos·sipped, gos·sip·ing or gos·sip·ping.
- to talk idly, especially about the affairs of others; go about tattling.
verb (used with object), gos·siped or gos·sipped, gos·sip·ing or gos·sip·ping.
- Chiefly British Dialect. to stand godparent to.
- Archaic. to repeat like a gossip.
noun
- casual and idle chatto have a gossip with a friend
- a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumours about other peoplea gossip about the neighbours
- Also called: gossipmonger a person who habitually talks about others, esp maliciously
- light easy communicationto write a letter full of gossip
- archaic a close woman friend
verb -sips, -siping or -siped
- (intr often foll by about) to talk casually or maliciously (about other people)
Old English godsibb “sponsor, godparent,” from God + sibb “relative” (see sibling). Extended in Middle English to “any familiar acquaintance” (mid-14c.), especially to woman friends invited to attend a birth, later to “anyone engaging in familiar or idle talk” (1560s). Sense extended 1811 to “trifling talk, groundless rumor.” Similar formations in Old Norse guðsifja, Old Saxon guþziff.
“to talk idly about the affairs of others,” 1620s, from gossip (n.). Related: Gossiped; gossiping.