Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Spy

Spy

(spī)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Spied
(spīd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Spying
.]
[OE.
spien
,
espien
, OF.
espier
, F.
épier
, OHG.
spehōn
, G.
spähen
; akin to L.
specere
to see, Skr.
spaç
. √ 169. Cf.
Espy
,
Verb.
T.
,
Aspect
,
Auspice
,
Circumspect
,
Conspicuous
,
Despise
,
Frontispiece
,
Inspect
,
Prospect
,
Respite
,
Scope
,
Specimen
,
Spectacle
,
Specter
,
Speculate
,
Spice
,
Spite
,
Suspicion
.]
1.
To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.
One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he
spied
a note of admiration.
Swift.
2.
To discover by close search or examination.
Look about with your eyes;
spy
what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
Latimer.
3.
To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a country; – usually with
out
.
Moses sent to
spy
out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.
Num. xxi. 32.

Spy

,
Verb.
I.
To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
It is my nature’s plague
To
spy
into abuses.
Shakespeare

Spy

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Spies
(spīz)
.
[See
Spy
,
Verb.
, and cf.
Espy
,
Noun.
]
1.
One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.
“These wretched spies of wit.”
Dryden.
2.
(Mil.)
A person sent secretly into an enemy's camp, territory, or fortifications, to inspect his works, ascertain his strength, movements, or designs, and to communicate such intelligence to the proper officer.
Spy money
,
money paid to a spy; the reward for private or secret intelligence regarding the enemy.
Spy Wednesday
(Eccl.)
,
the Wednesday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; – so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.
Syn. – See
Emissary
, and
Scout
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Spy

SPY

,
Noun.
1.
A person sent into an enemys camp to inspect their works, ascertain their works, ascertain their strength and their intentions, to watch their movements, and secretly communicate intelligence to the proper officer. By the laws of war among all civilized nations, a spy is subjected to capital punishment.
2.
A person deputed to watch the conduct of others.
3.
One who watches the conduct of others.
These wretched spies of wit.

SPY

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To see; to gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment. It is the same as espy; as, to spy land from the mast head of a ship.
As tiger spied two gentle fawns.
One in reading skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
2.
To discover by close search or examination; as, a lawyer in examining the pleadings in a case, spies a defect.
3.
To explore; to view, inspect and examine secretly; as a country; usually with out.
Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof. Numbers 21.

SPY

,
Verb.
I.
To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
It is my natures plague to spy into abuse.

Definition 2024


spy

spy

English

Noun

spy (plural spies)

  1. A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
    • 2013 June 29, Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
      Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

Translations

Synonyms

Derived terms

Verb

spy (third-person singular simple present spies, present participle spying, simple past and past participle spied)

  1. (intransitive) To act as a spy.
    During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.
  2. (transitive) To spot; to catch sight of.
    I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.
    • Jonathan Swift
      One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
    • Latimer
      Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
  3. (intransitive) To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
    • Shakespeare
      It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.
  4. (transitive) To explore; to see; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
    • Bible, Numbers xxi. 32
      Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

Descendants

Anagrams


Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (to spit, vomit). Compare Swedish and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

Noun

spy n (definite singular spyet) (uncountable)

  1. barf (US), vomit, spew

Verb

spy (present tense spyr, simple past spydde, past participle spydd)

  1. to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative)

Synonyms

References


Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (to spit, vomit). Compare Norwegian and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

Verb

spy

  1. to throw up, to vomit

Conjugation

Synonyms

Related terms

  • spya
  • spyboll