# gossiphood
## English
### Etymology

From gossip +‎ -hood.

### Noun

gossiphood (countable and uncountable, plural gossiphoods) (rare)
* Relationship by baptismal rites; spiritual affinity or parentage; sponsorship.
** 1657, William Hughes, “Challenge”, in Nomotomia, in two parts, London: […] T. R. for H. Twyford; T. Dring; J. Place, page 225:XV. Where Challenge may be for affinity to the party or to bis kinſman , or alley of the party, and how it may be pleaded, and ſor Goſſiphood.
** 1883, Jacob Grimm, “Death” (chapter XXVII), in James Steven Stallybrass, transl., Teutonic Mythology, volume II, London: George Bell & Sons, page 854:The gossiphood is the only guarantee of any connexion with the later märchen.
** 1890, Matteo Bandello, “The One-and-Thirtieth Story. […]”, in John Payne, transl., The novels of Matteo Bandello Bishop of Agen, volume 2, London: […] Villon Society, page 164:[…] whereat the Bergomask fell into a mad fit of jealousy and forbade Zanina to call the soldier gossip or to speak with him ; insomuch that he would have had her break her sacred bond of gossiphood.
** 1986, Jonathan Crewe, “Sympathy” (chapter 2), in Hidden Designs: The critical profession and Renaissance literature, Methuen, page 59:These are that once fellow-feeling is recognized, its scope will tend to expand as more and more affinities are discovered, here for example those of neighborhood, gossiphood, etc.;
* Gossip; idle talk.
** 1838, Catherine Gore, “The Champion”, in Mary Raymond, and Other Tales, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, page 282:[…] while my Lord Storford had already approved himself too staunch a knight, too honourable a gentleman, and too graceful a courtier, for much surprise to await the Lady Mildred's second choice, either in the prattling gossiphood of the shire of Gloucester, or the more solemn discussions of the antechambers of Westminster.
** 1856, Charlotte Mary Yonge, chapter XI, in The Daisy Chain; or, Aspirations, London: John W. Parker and Son, pages 459-460:[…] for Dr. May had such a great inclination to scramble up the ladder after them, that she, thinking it a dangerous experiment for so helpless an arm, was obliged to assure him that it would create a sensation among the gossiphood of Stoneborough, if their physician were seen disporting himself on the top of the house.
** 1886, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, “They Say” (chapter XXVI), in Bonnyborough, Boston, New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, page 248:She could not help what she inherited, of name or nature, and evidently she was a " born gossip ; " and of perfect gossiphood malice is undoubtedly a large element; but notwithstanding the undeniable entail of Mallis proper in her family, she seemed in her heredity to have received but this other complement of the gossip character, the newsiness and relish for small knowledge, particularly the first sharp guess at anything, with also a certain shrewdness and brightness that can make the guess supply unfinished links, and put the whole with cleverness, and which cannot resist a keen venture or a capital joke.

#### Synonyms

* gossipred

### Further reading

* “gossiphood, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.