noun
scuttlebutt
SKUH-tuhl-buht
noun
1
Gossip or informal rumour.
"The scuttlebutt around the office was that layoffs were coming."
2
A water cask or drinking fountain on a ship, historically where sailors gathered and talked.
"Sailors would swap stories at the scuttlebutt during their break."
How to Use Scuttlebutt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishInformal word for gossip or rumour — much like "water cooler talk."
When to use it
Informal, American in flavour, and often used slightly playfully.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
scuttlebutted past tense, scuttlebutts plural, scuttlebutts singular
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Etymology
From scuttle ("to cut a hole in") + butt ("wooden cask"). Sailors gathered around the ship's water cask to drink and gossip, similar to the modern "water cooler talk."