grapevine

¹

[ greyp-vahyn ]

noun

1. a vine that bears grapes.
2. Also called grape·vine tel·e·graph [greyp, -vahyn , tel, -i-graf]. a person-to-person method of spreading rumors, gossip, information, etc., by informal or unofficial conversation, letter writing, or the like.
3. a private or secret source of information.

Grapevine

²

[ greyp-vahyn ]

noun

1. a town in N Texas.

grapevine

/ ˈɡreɪpˌvaɪn /

noun

1. any of several vitaceous vines of the genus Vitis, esp V. vinifera of E Asia, widely cultivated for its fruit (grapes): family Vitaceae
2. informal.
   an unofficial means of relaying information, esp from person to person
3. a wrestling hold in which a wrestler entwines his own leg around his opponent's and exerts pressure against various joints

Word History and Origins

Origin of grapevine¹

1645–55; 1860–65, Americanism grapevine fordef 2; grape + vine

Example Sentences

Sometimes the city will learn through the grapevine that a client is in jail.

From Los Angeles Times

Wonderful Nurseries, the nation’s largest grapevine nursery, is in Wasco, Calif. Its parent company, Wonderful Co. — a $6-billion agricultural powerhouse owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick — sued the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in May, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s so-called card-check system, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of the grapevine talk has gotten back to her — how she’s a loose cannon or stirring the pot to cover up for complaints accusing her of misconduct.

From Los Angeles Times

According to Grocery Dive, the warehouse retail store chain will open its new store in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, Texas, next week.

From Salon

On Tuesday, more than 5.4 million early-warning alerts went out for the magnitude 5.2 quake that struck Kern County about 18 miles southwest of Bakersfield and 14 miles northwest of the unincorporated community of Grapevine.

From Los Angeles Times