noun
grapevine
GRAYP-vyn
noun
1
The woody vine on which grapes grow.
"The grapevine climbed along the old stone wall of the vineyard."
2
An informal, person-to-person network through which rumors and news travel.
"I heard through the grapevine that they're getting engaged."
How to Use Grapevine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the actual plant grapes grow on, or, figuratively, word-of-mouth gossip.
Common mistake
"Hear through the grapevine" is a fixed idiom for hearing unofficial news or gossip — don't take it literally.
Common pairings
hear it through the grapevine
office grapevine
Word Forms
grapevined past tense, grapevines plural, grapevines singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “grapevine”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ climbed along the old stone wall of the vineyard.
Etymology
A straightforward compound of "grape" and "vine."