Spy Definition
spī
spied, spies, spying
noun
spies
A person employed by a government to get secret information about or monitor the affairs, plans, armed forces, etc. of another government.
Webster's New World
One who secretly collects information for a business about one or more of its competitors.
American Heritage
A person who keeps close and secret watch on another or others.
Webster's New World
A person employed by a company, as in industry or commerce, to discover the business secrets of another company.
Webster's New World
An act of spying.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- undercover agent
- mata-hari
- mole
- secret-service agent
- intelligencer
- emissary
- double-agent
- espionage agent
- wiretapper
- watcher
- detective
- counterspy
- counterintelligence agent
- secret-agent
- intelligence agent
verb
spied, spies, spying
To watch or observe closely and secretly, usually with unfriendly purpose.
Webster's New World
To watch or observe closely and secretly; specif., to act as a spy.
Webster's New World
To make a close examination or careful inspection.
Webster's New World
To catch sight of; make out; perceive; see.
Webster's New World
To engage in espionage.
American Heritage
adjective
Of or about spies or espionage.
Webster's New World
Used for purposes of military espionage.
Spy plane, spy satellite.
Webster's New World
idiom
spy out
- to discover or seek to discover by close observation, inspection, etc.
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Spy
- spy out
Origin of Spy
-
Middle English spien, aphetic variant of earlier espien "to espy", from Old French espier (“to spy") (espie "a spy"), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy"), from Proto-Germanic *spehōnÄ… (“to see, look"), from Proto-Indo-European *spek- (“to look"). Akin to Old High German spehōn, spehhōn "to scout, look out for, spy" (German spähen "to spy"), Middle Dutch spien "to spy", Dutch bespieden "to spy on".
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English spie from Old French espie from espier to watch of Germanic origin spek- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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