Spy — Defs

01 v. t. To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.

imp. & p. p. Spied; p. pr. & vb. n. Spying

1.
To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.
“One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.” — Swift.
2.
To discover by close search or examination.
“Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.” — Latimer.
3.
To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out.
“Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.” — Num. xxi. 32.

02 v. i. To search narrowly; to scrutinize.

1.
To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
“It is my nature's plague To spy into abuses.” — Shak.

03 n. One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.

pl. Spies ((spīz))

1.
One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.
2.
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.(Mil.)

Phrases & compounds

Spy money — money paid to a spy; the reward for private or secret intelligence regarding the enemy.

Spy Wednesday — the Wednesday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; -- so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.

Syn. See Emissary, and Scout.