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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spy \Spy\ (sp[imac]), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Spied} (sp[imac]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Spying}.] [OE. spien, espien, OF. espier, F. ['e]pier, OHG. speh[=o]n, G. sp["a]hen; akin to L. specere to see, Skr. spa[,c]. [root] 169. Cf. {Espy}, verb (used with an object), {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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spy \Spy\, verb (used without an object) To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
It is my nature's plague To spy into abuses. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spy \Spy\, noun; pl. {Spies} (sp[imac]z). [See {Spy}, v., 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}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
spy
noun
1: (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors [syn: {undercover agent}]
2: a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"
verb
1: catch sight of [syn: {descry}, {spot}, {espy}]
2: watch, observe, or inquire secretly [syn: {stag}, {snoop}, {sleuth}]
3: secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage; "spy for the Russians" [also: {spied}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
114 Moby Thesaurus words for "spy": CIA man, agent, be vigilant, be watchful, beagle, behold, betrayer, blab, blabber, blabberer, blabbermouth, bug, case, catch sight of, clap eyes on, cloak-and-dagger operative, counterintelligence agent, counterspy, delator, descry, detect, detective, dig out, discern, discover, distinguish, double agent, espionage agent, espy, eye, eyeball, ferret out, fink, fish out, follow, gaze at, glimpse, grub up, have a looksee, have in sight, hold in view, hunt out, identify, informer, inside man, intelligence agent, investigator, keep in sight, keep in view, keep under observation, ken, lay eyes on, look after, look at, look on, look upon, make a reconnaissance, make out, meddle, military-intelligence man, narc, naval-intelligence man, nose, notice, observe, operative, peacher, peek, peep, perceive, pick out, pick up, play the spy, pry, pry out, put under surveillance, recognize, reconnoiter, reconnoiterer, regard, root out, scout, scout out, search out, secret agent, see, sense, sight, sleuth, snitch, snitcher, snoop, spook, spot, spotter, spy out, spy upon, spy-catcher, squealer, stag, stake out, stool pigeon, stoolie, take in, talebearer, tattler, tattletale, telltale, twig, undercover man, view, watch, whistle-blower, witness
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |