gossip

gossip
\ \ [OE] The Anglo-Saxons’ term for a ‘godparent’ was godsibb, a compound formed from god ‘god’ (just as in modern English godmother, godfather, etc) and sib ‘relative’ (a word of unknown origin from which modern English gets sibling). It denotes one’s ‘relative in God’, one’s ‘spiritual relative’. By Middle English times, however, it had come down in the world somewhat, to mean simply ‘close friend’, and by the 16th century it was being used for ‘one who indulges in idle talk’. The modern sense ‘idle talk’ developed from the verb in the 19th century.
\ \ Cf.⇒ GOD, SIBLING

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Gossip — (murmuración en inglés) puede referirse a: Gossip o The Gossip, un grupo estadounidense de indie rock. Gossip Girl, serie de televisión estadounidense de drama adolescente. Gossip Revista electrónica dedicada a la vida social. Gossip película… …   Wikipedia Español

  • gossip — n *report, rumor, hearsay Analogous words: talk, conversation (see corresponding verbs at SPEAK): tattling, blabbing (see GOSSIP vb) gossip vb Gossip, blab, tattle mean to disclose something that one would have done better to keep to oneself. To… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Gossip — Gos sip, n. [OE. gossib, godsib, a relation or sponsor in baptism, a relation by a religious obligation, AS. godsibb, fr. god + sib alliance, relation; akin to G. sippe, Goth. sibja, and also to Skr. sabh[=a] assembly.] [1913 Webster] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gossip (EP) — Gossip EP de Breathe Carolina Publicación 26 de noviembre, 2007 Grabación 2007 Género(s) electropop Duración 24:00 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gossip — live im Wonder Ballroom in Portland …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • gossip — [n1] talk about others; rumor account, babble, back fence talk*, blather, blether, buzz*, calumny, chatter, chitchat*, chronicle, clothesline*, conversation, cry, defamation, dirty laundry*, dirty linen*, dirty wash*, earful*, grapevine*, hearsay …   New thesaurus

  • gossip — [gäs′əp] n. [ME godsip, gossyp (with assimilated d ) < Late OE godsibbe, godparent: see GOD & SIB] 1. Now Dial. a) a godparent b) a close friend 2. a person who chatters or repeats idle talk and rumors, esp. about the private affairs of others …   English World dictionary

  • gossip — ► NOUN 1) casual conversation or unsubstantiated reports about other people. 2) chiefly derogatory a person who likes talking about other people s private lives. ► VERB (gossiped, gossiping) ▪ engage in gossip. DERIVATIVES gossiper noun …   English terms dictionary

  • Gossip — Gos sip, v. t. To stand sponsor to. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gossip — Gos sip, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Gossiped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Gossiping}.] 1. To make merry. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To prate; to chat; to talk much. Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gossip — index hearsay, report (rumor) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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