espy

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪˈspaɪ/, /ɛ-/ (General American) IPA(key): /əˈspaɪ/, /ɛ-/ Rhymes: -aɪ === Etymology 1 === From Middle English aspien, espien (“to make covert observations of (a person or place) with hostile intent, to spy on; to seek to discover by spying; to act as a spy; to catch sight of, see; to look over, observe; to wait in ambush, to ambush; to plot against; to look for, seek to find; to inquire or look into, investigate; to discover, find”) [and other forms], from Old French espier (“to watch”) (modern French épier (“to keep an eye on, watch; to spy on; (dated) to watch for”)), from Vulgar Latin *spiāre, from Frankish *spehōn (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look, observe, see”). Doublet of spy. ==== Verb ==== espy (third-person singular simple present espies, present participle espying, simple past and past participle espied) (transitive) To find out or observe (someone or something, especially if not easy to see) by spying or looking; to catch sight of; to see; to spot. Synonyms: descry, discern, discover; see also Thesaurus:spot To see (someone or something) without foreplanning or unexpectedly. (obsolete) To observe (someone or something) as a spy; also, to examine or observe (someone or something) carefully; or to look out or watch for. To become aware of (a fact, information, etc.). (intransitive, archaic) To observe as a spy, to spy; also, to examine or observe carefully; or to look out or watch. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Alternative forms ===== espie (obsolete) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== espial espionage spy ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English aspie, espie (“covert investigation or observation, scouting, spying; information obtained through spying; secret and treacherous plan, plot; treachery; a scout or spy”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman espie, Old French espie, from espier (verb): see further at etymology 1. ==== Noun ==== espy (countable and uncountable, plural espies) (obsolete) (countable) An act of finding out or observing by spying or looking; an espial or espying. A scout or spy. (uncountable) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means; espionage. === References === === Anagrams === Pyes, Spey, Yeps, pyes, spye, yeps