talebearer means an indiscreet person who spreads gossip or blame. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
Why “talebearer” is a great word
A person who officiously and indiscreetly spreads private or scandalous reports, often with malicious intent. From the Middle English *taleberer*, equivalent to *tale* ("story, report") + *bearer* ("one who carries"). Unlike "gossip," which names the idle talk itself, or "informant," which suggests a sanctioned role, a talebearer is the active, petty agent of the rumor's journey. It is the whispered confidence in a shadowed corner, the gleam of faux-concern in a busybody's eye, the deliberate smudge on a pristine reputation—the small, corrosive engine that turns idle chatter into lasting harm.
Etymology
From Middle English taleberer; equivalent to tale + bearer.
noun
- An indiscreet person who spreads gossip or blame.“"To speak the truth when my lady commands me," answered the prudential major-domo, "is in some measure my duty, Mistress Lilias; always providing for and excepting those cases in which it cannot be spoken without breeding mischief and inconvenience to myself or my fellow-servants; for the tongue of a tale-bearer breaketh bones as well as Jeddart-staff."”
Down the rabbit hole
Every word is a door. Follow one.