Spy

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Spy \Spy\, v. i.
     To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           It is my nature's plague
           To spy into abuses.                      --Shak.


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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Spy \Spy\, n.; pl. {Spies} (sp[imac]z). [See {Spy}, v., and cf.
     {Espy}, n.]
     1. One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.
        "These wretched spies of wit." --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {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.
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     Syn: See {Emissary}, and {Scout}.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Spy \Spy\ (sp[imac]), v. t. [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[aum]hen; akin to L. specere
     to see, Skr. spa[,c]. [root] 169. Cf. {Espy}, v. t.,
     {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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he
              spied a note of admiration.           --Swift.
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     2. To discover by close search or examination.
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              Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be
              reformed in the church of England.    --Latimer.
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     3. To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a
        country; -- usually with out.
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              Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the
              villages thereof.                     --Num. xxi.
                                                    32.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spy
       n 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"
       v 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