spy

¹spy

verb \ˈspī\

spiedspy·ing

Definition of SPY

transitive verb

1

: to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes

2

: to catch sight of : see

3

: to search or look for intensively —usually used with out <spy out places fit for vending … goods — S. E. Morison>

intransitive verb

1

: to observe or search for something : look

2

: to watch secretly as a spy

Examples of SPY

1. They were accused of spying for a foreign government.
2. <I spy a motel off in the distance, so let's spend the night there.>

Origin of SPY

Middle English spien, from Anglo-French espier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy; akin to Latin specere to look, look at, Greek skeptesthai & skopein to watch, look at, consider

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SPY

Synonyms: behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, sight, spot, see, view, witness

Related Words: identify, make out, pick out, pick up; attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind; study, watch; examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey; glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)

Near Antonyms: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over; miss, overlook

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Rhymes with SPY

ay, aye, bi, Bligh, buy, by, bye, chai, chi, cry, die, dry, dye, eye, fie, fly, fry, guy, hie, high, Huai, i, I, lie, lye, my, nigh, phi, pi, pie, ply, pry, psi, rye, scythe, shy, sigh, sky, Skye, sly, spry, sty, Tai, Thai, thigh, thy, tie, try, vie, why, wry, wye, xi, Y