SCHMOOZE

I. verb or shmooze (~d or shmoozed; schmoozing or shmoozing) Etymology: Yiddish shmuesn, from schmues talk, from Hebrew shĕmu'ōth news, rumor Date: 1884 intransitive verb to converse informally ; chat , transitive verb to engage in schmoozing with , ~r noun II. noun Date: 1949 a gathering or time devoted to schmoozing, casual talk that is often gossipy or ingratiating