Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <word-request>
Title: Is there a verb for listening stealthily?
Question: I am wondering if there's a verb that means "listening stealthily" or "listening to someone or a group of people without having him/them know".  I am highly confident that there's a verb, but I can't seem to remember what it was.  Just so that we're in the same page, here's an example:   John put his ears over the door to ___ at the private conversation between the king and the queen.

Answers:
sents: text: The word you're looking for is probably eavesdrop : Secretly listen to a conversation.
text: ‘my father eavesdropped on my phone calls’ (source: Oxford Dictionaries ) @Zikato reminded me of this scene from The Fellowship of the Ring where Sam is caught eavesdropping (around 2:45) on a secret conversation between Gandalf and Frodo.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/18673/Glorfindel
score: 91
sents: text: While I think eavesdrop is probably your best choice, spy would also be an appropriate descriptor for the action of stealthily listening though it does include all kinds of observation, so watching (
text: and I suppose smelling?)
text: as well.
text: Observe (someone) furtively.
text: (Source: Oxford Dictionary )
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/4887/aslum
score: 9
sents: text: You can use to listen in .
text: It can be used either without an object, or with one.
text: In that case, you listen in on something.
text: Definition and examples from the Oxford dictionary : listen in Listen to a private conversation, especially secretly.
text: Seth listened in as his father chatted philosophy with friends
text: I hurried him into my room and shut the door behind us; I didn't want any eavesdroppers listening in on our conversation.
text: At this point, I decided to stop listening in on their private conversation.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/30156/Fabio says Reinstate Monica
score: 7
sents: text: This is more of a visual, (perhaps even nasal ), term, but it doesn't rule out listening: snoop intransitive verb : to look or pry especially in a sneaking or meddlesome manner
text: She locks up her diary to keep her brother from snooping. -- MW
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/36151/agc
score: 6
sents: text: A word that means "listening to someone or a group of people without having him/them know" but not "listening stealthily" is overhear Hear (someone or something) without meaning to or without the knowledge of the speaker.
text: ‘I overheard two doctors discussing my case.’
text: (source: usage from collins and definition from oxford )
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/62104/Hazkaz
score: 5
sents: text: I agree that eavesdrop is a good word for this.
text: An alternative synonym is earwig Oxford Dictionaries definition British informal Secretly listen to a conversation.
text: ‘he looked behind him to see if anyone was earwigging’
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/1430/uɐɪ
score: 5
sents: text: In this case ‘spy’ could do as well, though that indicates more than just listening, it’s more ‘observing stealthily’
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/51836/patrick
score: 2

Summary of the answers:
The word you're looking for is probably  eavesdrop :   Secretly listen to a conversation. An alternative synonym is  earwig  Oxford Dictionaries  definition    British informal  Secretly listen to a conversation. 
The following can be used for "listening stealthily": "eavesdropping", "listening in", "earwigging", "spying", "overhearing" and "snooping".