Wed, 09 Oct 2024 16:51:53 EDT
Eavesdrop…
…in addition to being a verb, was also formerly a noun that described the rainwater that dripped from the eaves of a sloped roof and the area on the ground where the rainwater fell. Originally, the word was eavesdrip.
The noun eavesdropper appeared in English before the verb to eavesdrop. An eavesdroper stands under the eaves of a building (in the eavesdrop) to listen to what happens inside the building.