earwiggern.
/ˈɪəwɪɡə/, U.S. /ˈɪ(ə)rˌwɪɡər/ 1. A person who seeks to influence others in secret; a person who whispers insidiously in people's ears. Cf. earwig v. 1. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > keeping from knowledge > hidden or indirect meaning > [noun] > communicating indirectly > one who communicates indirectly
mustererc1450
whisterer1519
whisperer1547
insinuator1740
earwigger1793
1793 Diary; or, Woodfall's Reg. 15 June 7/1 That Constitution..would be ill-supported if it had no better advocates than the Coffee-house Politicians and earwiggers, who stood forward in the character of informers.
1832 Albion & Star 2 Mar. 3/1 He, of all men in the world the most direct and honest,..is accused of being the earwigger of the King.
1874 Temple Bar Feb. 410 A puller of wires, a manager of committees, a getter of majorities, an earwigger of men in power.
1904 W. Austral. Parl. Deb. 24 2369/2 The ear-wigger of the House who can whisper denunciations of any party and not vote according to his beliefs.
2. An eavesdropper. Cf. earwig v. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > [noun] > secret listening > person engaged in
eavesdropper1487
hearkener1549
otacust1632
ear droppera1670
earwigger1865
1865 Leaves from Diary Celebrated Burglar 18/2 Having no ‘earwiggers’ near, Joe commenced his story of entering the jeweler's store.
1965 K. Williams Diary 31 May (1993) 259 Met D. at Vega. Terrible fat ear wigger at next table.
2013 A. Spencer Save Date ix. 115 She looked around, as though she was expecting to see earwiggers hiding behind the potted lemon trees that littered the terrace area.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1793