Rumour
//ˈɹuːmə(ɹ)// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 British, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland spelling of rumor. countable, uncountable
"Rumour had it (though not proved) that she descended from the house of the lords Talbot de Malahide"
- 2 gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth wordnet
- 3 A prolonged, indistinct noise. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Prithee, listen well; / I heard a bustling rumour like a fray, / And the wind brings it from the Capitol."
Verb
- 1 Commonwealth standard spelling of rumor.
"Two of the four main routes over the Border were rumoured to be threatened with withdrawal of, or heavy cuts in, passenger services."
- 2 tell or spread rumors wordnet
Example
More examples"When the accountant was arrested, rumour had it that it was for his creative bookkeeping."
Etymology
From Middle English rumour, from Old French rumour, rumor, from Latin rūmor (“common talk”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *rewH- (“to shout, roar”).
Related phrases
More for "rumour"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.