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
To
spy
into abuses. Shakespeare
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.
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.
It is my natures plague to spy into abuse.
Definition 2024
spy
spy
English
Noun
spy (plural spies)
- 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
person who secretly watches
|
|
Synonyms
Derived terms
Verb
spy (third-person singular simple present spies, present participle spying, simple past and past participle spied)
- (intransitive) To act as a spy.
- During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.
- (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.
- (intransitive) To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
- Shakespeare
- It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.
- Shakespeare
- (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.
- Bible, Numbers xxi. 32
Translations
to act as a spy
|
|
to spot at a distance
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)
Verb
spy (present tense spyr, simple past spydde, past participle spydd)
Synonyms
References
- “spy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
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
Conjugation
Conjugation of spy
Synonyms
Related terms
- spya
- spyboll