spy

From Middle English spien, aphetic variant of earlier espien (“to espy”), from Old French espier (“to spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to see, look”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”). Akin to German spähen (“to spy”), Dutch spieden (“to spy”).

• IPA^(key): /spaɪ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ

spy (plural spies)

1. A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
   • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:

     Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

• intelligencer
• Thesaurus:spy

• spy ring

spy (third-person singular simple present spies, present participle spying, simple past and past participle spied)

1. (intransitive) To act as a spy.

   During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.

2. (transitive) To spot; to catch sight of.

   I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.

   • Jonathan Swift

     One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.

   • Latimer

     Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.

3. (intransitive) To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
   • Shakespeare

     It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.

4. (transitive) To explore; to see; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
   • Bible, Numbers xxi. 32

     Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.

• spy on
• spyhop

• spyglass
• spyware

• Wikipedia article on spies

• → Japanese: スパイ (supai)
• → Korean: 스파이 (seupai)

• SYP, YPs

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (“to spit, vomit”). Compare Swedish and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

spy n (definite singular spyet) (uncountable)

1. barf (US), vomit, spew

spy (present tense spyr, simple past spydde, past participle spydd)

1. to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative)

• kaste opp

• “spy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (“to spit, vomit”). Compare Norwegian and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

• IPA^(key): /spyː/

spy

1. to throw up, to vomit

• kräkas

• spya
• spyboll