scut ‧ tle ‧ butt /ˈskʌtlbʌt/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable] American English informal
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: scuttlebutt 'container for a ship's drinking water' (19-20 centuries) , from scuttled 'having a hole cut in it' (18-19 centuries) (from ⇨ ↑ scuttle 1 ) + butt 'large container for liquid, barrel' (15-21 centuries) (from Old French botte , from Late Latin buttis ); because sailors gathered around the container to talk ]
stories about other people’s personal lives, especially stories that are unkind or untrue SYN gossip