rumor means A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rumor ranks #2,613 of 42,762 for Qualifying.
rumor is pronounced /ˈɹuːmə/.
Etymology
From Middle English rumour, from Old French rumeur, from Latin rūmor (“common talk”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewH- (“to shout, to roar”).
noun
- A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth.e.g.“There's a rumor going round that he's going to get married.”
- Information or misinformation of the kind contained in such claims.e.g.“They say he used to be a thief, but that's just rumor.”
- Report, news, information in general.e.g.“It stands a city aloof. There hath been no rumour of it—I alone have dreamed of it, and I may not be sure that my dreams are true.” — 1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 3:
- Fame, reputation.
- Clamor, din, outcry.
verb
- To tell a rumor about; to gossip.e.g.“John is rumored to be next in line for a promotion.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).