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
- They were accused of spying for a foreign government.
- <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
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Rhymes with SPY
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