different between rumour vs libel

English

Etymology

From Old French rumeur, from Latin r?mor (“common talk”).

Pronunciation

• * (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??u?m?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??u?m?/

Noun

rumour (countable and uncountable, plural rumours)

1. Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland spelling of rumor
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 26:

     Dame Rumour outstrides me yet again.

2. (obsolete) A prolonged, indistinct noise.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, JC II. iv. 18:

     Prithee, listen well; / I heard a bustling rumour like a fray, / And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

Verb

rumour (third-person singular simple present rumours, present participle rumouring, simple past and past participle rumoured)

1. Commonwealth of Nations standard spelling of rumor.

English

Etymology

From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: l??b?l, IPA^(key): /?la?b?l/
• Rhymes: -a?b?l

Noun

libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)

1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
2. (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.
3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
4. (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
   • 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179

     These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district.

5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

   • 1382–1395, John Wycliffe et al. (translators), Matthew verse 31

     a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:slander

Usage notes

In common usage, the noun and verb is particularly used where the defamatory writing meets the legal definition of libel in a particular jurisdiction.

Translations

Verb

libel (third-person singular simple present libels, present participle (UK) libelling or (US) libeling, simple past and past participle (UK) libelled or (US) libeled)

1. (transitive) To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.

   He libelled her when he published that.
2. (law) To proceed against (a ship, goods, etc.) by filing a libel.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Derived terms

See also

• defamation
• defame
• slander

Anagrams

• Belli, I'll be, Ibell, Liebl

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?b?l/
• Hyphenation: li?bel
• Rhymes: -?l

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin libella or libellula.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
2. dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata

Alternative forms

• libelle

Hyponyms

• (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer

Etymology 2

From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).

Noun

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. booklet, notably a libel (defamatory writing)

Synonyms

• schotschrift
• smaadschrift

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin libella.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. A vial of a level.

References

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]