eavesdropeaves‧drop /ˈivzdrɑp/ verb (eavesdropped, eavesdropping) [intransitive] to listen secretly to other people’s conversations: Her sister had been eavesdropping on our conversations. [Origin: 1600–1700 eavesdropper “someone who stands close to a wall, where rainwater drops from the eaves, in order to listen secretly”]—eavesdropper noun [countable]