eavesdrop

4 definitions • 5 examples

to listen to someone's private conversation from close by without them knowing:

eavesdrop on He was eavesdropping on our conversation.

He beckoned me into a little side room where no one could eavesdrop.

to listen to someone without them knowing using an electronic listening device, for example attached to a telephone line:

The intelligence agency was instructed to eavesdrop and collect information to be analysed by other agencies.

Police need a warrant if they want to eavesdrop on telephone conversations.

This vulnerability allows an attacker to eavesdrop on wireless traffic and collect enough information to bypass the secret shared authentication key.

to listen secretly to someone’s private conversation