n[U]AmE informal
[Date: 1900-2000; Origin: scuttlebutt 'container for a ship's drinking water' (19-20 centuries), from scuttled 'having a hole cut in it' (18-19 centuries) (from SCUTTLE¹) + butt 'large container for liquid, barrel' (15-21 centuries) (from Old French botte, from Late Latin buttis); because sailors gathered around the container to talk]
stories about other people's personal lives, especially stories that are unkind or untrue
= gossip