spy
Americannoun
plural
spies-
a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, especially with reference to military or naval affairs.
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a person who keeps close and secret watch on the actions and words of another or others.
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a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, especially one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor.
an industrial spy.
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the act of spying.
verb (used without object)
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to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often followed by on orupon ).
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to act as a spy; engage in espionage.
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to be on the lookout; keep watch.
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to search for or examine something closely or carefully.
verb (used with object)
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to catch sight of suddenly; espy; descry.
to spy a rare bird overhead.
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to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often followed byout ).
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to observe (a person, place, enemy, etc.) secretively or furtively with hostile intent.
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to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.
noun
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a person employed by a state or institution to obtain secret information from rival countries, organizations, companies, etc
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a person who keeps secret watch on others
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obsolete a close view
verb
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to keep a secret or furtive watch (on)
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(intr) to engage in espionage
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(tr) to catch sight of; descry
Other Word Forms
- outspy verb (used with object)
- spyship noun
- superspy noun
- unspied adjective
- unspying adjective
Etymology
Origin of spy
First recorded in 1200–50; (for the verb) Middle English spien, shortened from espien, espyen “to espy” ( espy ); (for the noun) Middle English, shortened from espy “a spy,” from Old French espie
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That was most likely through long-standing technical penetration of the Iranian communications systems as well as human spies on the ground, often run by Mossad.
From BBC
“Well, he knew that because of the spying.”
From Literature
Last week Seoul's spy agency briefed lawmakers that it believes Kim has selected his daughter as his heir, and that she was seen giving her opinion on policy matters.
From BBC
"We don't have spies in the training centre to deliver the info to our media," said Guardiola.
From BBC
Her growing profile has South Korea’s spy agency believing she is increasingly positioned to succeed her father, although North Korea has stayed mum on the succession topic.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
