eavesdrop

Verb

listen without the speaker's knowledge
- "the jealous man was eavesdropping on his wife's conversations"
To hear (intentionally) a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.
To listen for another organism's calls, so as to exploit them.

Noun

The dripping of rain from the eaves of a house.
The space around a house on which such water drips.
A concealed aperture through which an occupant of a building can surreptitiously listen to people talking at an entrance to the building.
The act of intentionally hearing a conversation not intended to be heard.

Examples

I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal.
Were you having a little eavesdrop on us last night?

Origin / Etymology

From eaves + drop; the "listening" sense derives from the notion of the listener standing in the area denoted by the physical sense.

Synonyms

listen in, eavesdrip

Scrabble Score: 15

eavesdrop: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
eavesdrop: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
eavesdrop: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

eavesdrop: valid Words With Friends Word