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Pry vs Eavesdropping - What's the difference?

pry | eavesdropping |

As an adverb pry

is allegedly.

As a verb eavesdropping is

.

As a noun eavesdropping is

listening secretly to private conversation of others.

pry

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) pryen, . More at (l).

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To look where one is not welcome; to be nosey.
  • To look closely and curiously at.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, / To pry into the secrets of the state.

    Noun

  • The act of prying
  • An excessively inquisitive person

    • Etymology 2

    1800, ("lever"), construed as a plural noun or as a 3rd person singular verb.

    Noun

    (pries)
  • A lever.
  • Leverage.

    • Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To use leverage to open or widen. (See also prise and prize.)

    • eavesdropping

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (wikipedia eavesdropping) (en noun)
  • Listening secretly to private conversation of others.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
    • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=7 citation , passage=The detective kept them in view. He made his way casually along the inside of the shelter until he reached an open scuttle close to where the two men were standing talking. Eavesdropping was not a thing Larard would have practised from choice, but there were times when, in the public interest, he had to do it, and this was one of them.}}
  • (telecoms ) The interception of electronic communication.