( BrE ) ( NAmE rumor ) / ˈruːmə(r); NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
[ C , U ] rumour (of / about sth) | rumour (that ... ) a piece of information, or a story, that people talk about, but that may not be true :
to start / spread a rumour
There are widespread rumours of job losses.
Some malicious rumours are circulating about his past.
I heard a rumour that they are getting married.
Many of the stories are based on rumour.
Rumour has it (= people say) that he was murdered.
■ verb
be rumoured to be reported as a rumour and possibly not true :
[ vn ( that )]
It's widely rumoured that she's getting promoted.
[ vn to inf ]
He was rumoured to be involved in the crime.
► ru·moured adjective [ only before noun ]:
He denied his father's rumoured love affair.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French rumur , from Latin rumor noise.