What does "grapevine" mean?
The plant, a vine of genus Vitis, on which grapes grow.
Grapevine
/ˈɡɹeɪp.vaɪn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The plant, a vine of genus Vitis, on which grapes grow.
- Grammar: grapevine is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adviser, algae, announcer, annunciator.
- Useful contrasts: formal channel, formal communication, official channel.
- Usage evidence: I heard the news through the grapevine.
How to use "grapevine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "grapevine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "grapevine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "grapevine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "grapevine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "grapevine" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adviser" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "grapevine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The plant, a vine of genus Vitis, on which grapes grow.
"Although many grapevines have geographical names, these rarely reflect their real origin, if known at all."
- 2 gossip spread by spoken communication wordnet
- 3 An informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip.
"I heard through the grapevine that Jim will be leaving soon."
- 4 any of numerous woody vines of genus Vitis bearing clusters of edible berries wordnet
- 5 A rumor. rare
"The legend, like all army grapevine, got around to me."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A move in which the feet are alternately placed in front of each other, while both remaining on the ice or ground, incorporating half-turns.
- 7 A leglock.
- 8 A dance figure in partner dancing that includes sidesteps and steps across the support foot. See Grapevine (dance move).
Verb
- 1 To restrain in a leglock. transitive
"From the top he grapevined his leg around Tibbits' leg and planted his elbow in his opponent's opposite side."
- 2 To drape or curl around adjacent objects. transitive
"This results from the plug wires being grapevined around each other too closely."
- 3 To move one's body in a smooth undulating wave while stepping in the direction the wave is moving. intransitive
"Up on the stage, the dancers twirled and whirled in time to the music and then grapevined across the broad expanse and exited stage left."
- 4 To score mortar at a joint. transitive
"The bridge is faced with rusticated stone and grapevined mortar joints, a trademark of WPA-built structures in southeast Colorado, and features beveled stone piers, corbeled copings and tapered voussoirs for the arches."
- 5 Of information, to spread as a rumor. intransitive, transitive
"For several years, as Mr. Watson's challenge gradually grapevined its way through the business world, many business groups asked Mr. Russell to speak at their directors' meetings and conventions."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Of a person or group, to spread (a rumor). intransitive, transitive
"The doctor's orders were soon grapevined around the league, and all the bench jockeys on the circuit were quickly counting ten on every pitch Lefty made."
- 7 To link up through an informal communication network. transitive
"But with the Negro foster homes in Pasadena grapevined together, the circumstances of little Narva did not make anyone enthusiastic about taking her into their homes."
Proper Noun
- 1 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Grant County, Arkansas.
- 2 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Kern County, California, at the foot of a grade called The Grapevine.
- 3 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Hopkins County, Kentucky.
- 4 A place in the United States:; A city in Tarrant County, Texas.
Antonyms
formal channelformal communicationofficial channelofficial channels
Example
"I heard the news through the grapevine."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "grapevine"?
Common synonyms include: adviser, algae, announcer, annunciator, authority, autophyte.
How do you use "grapevine" in a sentence?
I heard the news through the grapevine.
How do you pronounce "grapevine"?
Pronounced /ˈɡɹeɪp.vaɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From grape + vine.
Etymology 2
In Texas, from grapevine, referring to the wild grapes that grew in the area.