eavesdrop - technical definition

To secretly listen to or overhear a conversation without physically wiretapping a circuit. In medieval times, eavesdrop was rainwater that dropped to the ground from the eaves of a building. An eavesdropper was one who secretly hid in the area of the eavesdrop to overhear a private conversation. Contemporary electronic eavesdropping undoubtedly is a much drier and more comfortable endeavor. See also Echelon and wiretap.