Definition of "scuttlebutt" in English

noun

1. (countable, nautical) Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern ship.

2. (uncountable, originally US, nautical slang) Gossip, idle chatter; also, rumour.

verb

1. (transitive, rare) To spread (information) by way of gossip or rumour.

2. (intransitive) To chat idly or gossip; also, to spread rumours.