— gossipingly , adv.
/gos"euhp/ , n. , v. , gossiped or gossipped, gossiping or gossipping .
n.
1. idle talk or rumor, esp. about the personal or private affairs of others: the endless gossip about Hollywood stars.
2. light, familiar talk or writing.
3. Also, gossiper, gossipper . a person given to tattling or idle talk.
4. Chiefly Brit. Dial. a godparent.
5. Archaic. a friend, esp. a woman.
v.i.
6. to talk idly, esp. about the affairs of others; go about tattling.
v.t.
7. Chiefly Brit. Dial. to stand godparent to.
8. Archaic. to repeat like a gossip.
[ bef. 1050; ME gossib, godsib ( be ), OE godsibb, orig. godparent, equiv. to god GOD + sibb related; see SIB 1 ]
Syn. 1. small talk, hearsay, palaver, chitchat. GOSSIP, SCANDAL apply to idle talk and newsmongering about the affairs of others. GOSSIP is light chat or talk: to trade gossip about the neighbors. SCANDAL is rumor or general talk that is damaging to reputation; it is usually more or less malicious: The town never lived down the election scandal. 3. chatterer, talker, gabbler, rumormonger. 6. chatter, prattle, prate, palaver.