Old English sibb, meaning “relative” or “kinsman,” came from the adjective sibb, “related by blood” (the ancestor of modern English sibling). Old English godsibb was a person spiritually related to another, specifically by being a sponsor at baptism. Today we call such a person a godparent. Over the centuries, godsibb changed both in form and in meaning. Middle English gossib came to be used for a close friend or crony as well as for a godparent. From there it was only a short step to the gossip of today, a person no longer necessarily friend, relative, or sponsor, but someone filled with irresistible tidbits of rumor.
Noun He had been spreading gossip about his coworkers. the latest news and gossip from the entertainment industry She writes a gossip column in the paper. I like having a good gossip now and then. Verb They spent the afternoon gossiping on the phone. They often gossip with each other about their neighbors. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Yet Pimlott, who died in 2004, was not interested in gossip about the intimate details of her life. Wsj Books Staff, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 Months later, the scars lockdown left on so many relationships are still in evidence, and the low-stakes gossip that brightened our lives is in vanishingly short supply. Holly Thomas, CNN, 10 Sep. 2022 Naturally, aside from the reviews, the internet will also be waiting breathlessly for the backstage gossip. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2022 That DeuxMoi gossip that Leonardo DiCaprio is interested in dating someone slightly over the age of 25 may not be entirely fiction. Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 7 Sep. 2022 This was initially just unconfirmed gossip, often amplified by Styles fans who didn't approve of his relationship with Wilde. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 6 Sep. 2022 When the gossip rags let loose about her man waiting in the wings, swashbuckling screen star Douglas Fairbanks, moral crusaders found new firepower to question the living standards in Hollywood. Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2022 Equipped with some bookkeeping skills, a little English and an enthusiasm for gossip, Khalifa gets a job as a clerk for a local merchant, a kind of landlubber pirate who plays both sides of German rule. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 In a small town like that, before the advent of radio and television, new gossip was like finding a vein of gold. David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2022
Verb
Managers don’t particularly like malcontents and workers who gossip and spread rumors behind their backs. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 In Elbert County, people gossip about who ordered the monument. Cameron Mcwhirter, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Margaret Lesley and Charlotte Lutterell, who gossip about the scandals in their respective high society circles. Swarna Gowtham, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2022 Andy is more optimistic about his connection when the men gossip about their partners. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 26 July 2022 In similar fashion, Tribune editors were attentive to gossip circulating in the Salvation Army’s tents. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2022 First, the stories are easy to write: Just report the latest whispers from anonymous Roman clerics who have no real information but love to gossip.The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 June 2022 It’s the delight of darting to someone’s desk and dragging her to the bathroom to gossip.New York Times, 14 July 2022 As the narrating voice of a pamphlet devoted to gossip about Britain’s upper crust during the Regency period, Andrews was privy to Season One’s big mystery: which of the series’ characters was writing under the name Lady Whistledown.Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English gossib, from Old English godsibb, from god god + sibb kinsman, from sibb related — more at sib
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a