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单词 spy
释义

spyn.

Brit. /spʌɪ/, U.S. /spaɪ/
Forms: Also Middle English–1600s spie, spye.
Etymology: < Old French espie (= Spanish espia , Portuguese espia , Italian spia ) espy n.; hence also Middle Dutch spie . In sense 4 partly < spy v.
1.
a. One who spies upon or watches a person or persons secretly; a secret agent whose business it is to keep a person, place, etc., under close observation; esp. one employed by a government in order to obtain information relating to the military or naval affairs of other countries, or to collect intelligence of any kind. In jocular phrase one's spies: one's private or unofficial sources of information.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > a secret observer, spy
showerOE
spya1325
exploratorc1429
watch1484
inquisitor1580
scout1585
fly1622
otacust1632
evidence1691
lurcher1706
plant1812
society > communication > information > action of informing > [noun] > person who > private or special
bird1546
relator1607
a little birdie1881
tipster1884
one's spies1955
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 2174 Spies were we neuer non.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 2169 It semet wel ðat ge spies ben, And in-to ðis lond cumen to sen, And..for to spien ur lord ðe king.
c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 272 God haþ ȝouen a prest to be a spie to aspie þe sotil disceitis of þe fend & warne þe peple of hem.
c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame ii. 196 Though that Fame had al the pies In al a Realme, and al the spies.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) xi. 131 Whan the Spyes seen ony Cristene men comen upon hem, thei rennen to the Townes.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 469/1 Spy, or watare.., explorator.
?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 45 ‘To speik, quod scho,’ ‘I sall nought spar, ther is no spy neir’.
1594 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis (new ed.) sig. Eijv This sower informer, this bate-breeding spie.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 13 Theeves have their spies commonly in all Innes, to inquire after the condition of passengers.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 970 I come no Spie, With purpose to explore or to disturb The secrets of your Realm. View more context for this quotation
1707 G. Farquhar Beaux Stratagem iii. 23 Why some think he's a Spy, some guess he's a Mountebank.
1797 A. Radcliffe Italian II. ii. 72 They are certainly spies from the monastery.
1855 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Philip II of Spain I. ii. iii. 422 His spies were everywhere abroad, mingling with the suspected, and insinuating themselves into their confidence.
1882 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. II. 122 John Hooper..and..William Latimer..informed against him to the Privy Council, having no doubt been sent as official spies.
1955 E. H. Clements Discord in Air iii. 32 He designed the engine... I got that from my spies. There's no secret about it, anyway.
1965 M. Frayn Tin Men v. 31 The Queen's going to pay an official visit... So I'm told by my spies, anyway.
figurative and in extended use.1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. ii. sig. B5v Each others equall puissaunce enuies, And through their iron sides with cruelties [Faults Escaped: cruell spies] Does seeke to perce.1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. i. sig. Cc2 And whilst he bath'd, with her two crafty spyes, She secretly would search each daintie lim.1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 560 Testimonies of dying Saints:..we may call them Intelligence from the Spies of Eternity, seeing..the Grapes of that Canaan.1663 S. Patrick Parable of Pilgrim xxi If there be any thing of greater force than other to bring you acquainted with the joy and peace of Jerusalem,..this must be that happy Spy.
b. Const. on, upon (rarely of). Also transferred.
ΚΠ
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vii. 386 He to carleill than vald ga, And a quhill thar-in soiorn ma, And haf his spyis on the kyng.
1623 H. Wotton in L. P. Smith Life & Lett. Sir H. Wotton (1907) II. 237 I conceive it a duty to tell your Lordship first how we stand here at this date. For ambassadors (in our old Kentish language) are but spies of the time.
1680 N. Tate Loyal General Ep. Ded. sig. a He was a most diligent Spie upon Nature.
1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 37 They had presently three Dutch Men, set by the Dutch Captain, unperceiv'd by them, to be Spies upon them, and to mark exactly what they did.
1797 A. Radcliffe Italian I. ii. 72 He believed that this man was at once the spy of his steps, and the defamer of his love.
1833 H. Martineau Loom & Lugger i. iii. 38 But these men are spies only upon those who break the laws.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 533 There is strong reason to believe that he provided for his own safety by pretending at Whitehall to be a spy on the Whigs.
c. As the title of various periodicals, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > journalism > journal > periodical > [noun] > titles of periodicals
spy1644
Maga1820
Punch1841
B.O.P.1909
typographica1931
1644 (title) The Spie, communicating Intelligence from Oxford.
1706 E. Ward The London Spy.
1712 J. Swift Proposal for Eng. Tongue 24 Those monstrous Productions, which under the Names of Trips, Spies, Amusements, and other conceited Appellations, have over-run us for some Years past.
1739 (title) The Universal Spy, or London Weekly Magazine.
1810 (title) The Spy. A periodical paper of literary amusement and instruction.
1854 Poultry Chron. 2 174 The ‘Worcester Spy’ says that the corn crop in Central Massachusetts, will be nearly or quite an average one.
2. Military. A person employed in time of war to obtain secret information regarding the enemy; in early use esp. one venturing in disguise into the enemy's camp or territory.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > a secret observer, spy > a spy or scout
spy13..
espierc1384
espialc1386
especiala1500
espya1500
watchmanc1515
escout1560
espioun1636
emissary1663
telegraph1825
13.. K. Alis. 3530 (Linc.) Þe spies on boþe sydes goþ, An telliþ tales for soþ, Of Alisaundre, and eke Darie.
1338 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 241 Had þei had a spie among þe Walssh oste,..Þei had bien men lyuand, þat þer to dede went.
c1420 J. Lydgate Assembly of Gods 1022 Er he came at the felde he sent yet pryuyly Sensualyte before, in maner of a spy.
c1480 (a1400) St. Ninian 905 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 330 Þe Inglis..vend þar spy betraisit had þame to þe knycht.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xviii. 290 On the morowe erly Gawein sente a spie for to se what the saisnes diden.
1533 W. Tyndale Supper of Lord in Wks. (1573) 472/1 As if a souldier of our aduersaries part shoulde come in among vs with our Lordes badge,..we would..take him for a spye.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. xxvv At a certayn foord shewed to them by a spy which serued the yoman of ye tentes of vitailes.
1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis 267 Then they considered their danger, especially upon the Return of some that had been sent as Spies.
1699 W. Temple Introd. Hist. Eng. 113 Upon approach of his Enemies he sent Spies into the Norman Camp, who were taken.
1777 in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1883) I. 428 My scouts and spies inform me, that the enemy's head-quarters and main body are at Saratoga.
1846 T. Wright Ess. Middle Ages II. xiii. 87 In the early romances, no disguise is so frequently used by a spy as that of a minstrel.
1899 The Hague Conference Art. 29 An individual can only be considered a spy if, acting clandestinely, or on false pretences, he obtains or seeks to obtain information in the zone of operations of a belligerent, with the intention of communicating it to the hostile party.
†3. An ambush, ambuscade, snare. Obsolete. rare. Cf. espy n. 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > [noun] > hostile lying in wait > a lying in wait or ambush
waitingc1200
spyc1380
settingc1430
watch?a1475
wait1533
stale1557
ambush1573
imboscata1595
stand1616
belaying1677
c1380 Antecrist in J. H. Todd Three Treat. Wycklyffe (1851) 116 He sitteþ in spies wiþ riche men þat he slee an innocent man in privee.
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) 1 Kings xvi. 20 The remnaunt..of the wordis of Zamry, and of the spies [a1425 L.V. tresouns] of him, and of the tyraundise.
4. The action of spying; secret observation or watching; an instance or occasion of this. Chiefly in phrases.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun]
spying1338
espying1340
espialc1386
espyc1386
spyc1450
especiala1500
spieryc1588
intelligence1602
worming1607
scouting1644
espionage1793
spyism1847
spydom1859
obbo1933
great game1936
spooking1977
c1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 7 Hit happed that the lorde made spie how the gentill-woman was gone to hide her.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iii. i. 131 I will aduise you where to plant your selues, Acquaint you with the perfect Spy o'th' time, The moment on't. View more context for this quotation
1751 tr. Female Foundling I. 143 This young Baggage was on the Spy, and cannot hold her Tongue when she has done.
1857 A. Mayhew Paved with Gold ii. viii But he's always at the window looking over your way, and if you keep a spy on her, there'll be some fun.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.
spy-catcher n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > counter-espionage > [noun] > catching of spies > one who undertakes
spy-catcher1952
mole-catcher1980
1952 O. Pinto Spy-catcher i. 7 There is indeed excitement at times in the life of a real spy-catcher.
1976 Eastern Evening News (Norwich) 13 Dec. 1/1 Spycatcher..‘Jock’ Wilson, head of London's C.I.D.
spy-catching n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > counter-espionage > [noun] > catching of spies
spy-catching1978
1978 M. Cadogan & P. Craig Women & Children First x. 223 The most irresistible wartime subjects were evacuation and spy-catching.
1978 M. Cadogan & P. Craig Women & Children First x. 225 The spy-catching tales of Dorita Fairlie Bruce.
spy fever n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > excitement about
spy fever1973
1973 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Starry Bird xvi. 234 The spy fever had spread like foot-and-mouth disease.
spy-fiction n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > novel > [noun] > spy novel > collectively
spy-fiction1963
1963 Times Lit. Suppl. 8 Feb. 92/2 The famous heroes of British spy-fiction..have seldom been professionals.
spy film n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [noun] > spy film
spy film1942
spy movie1969
1942 N.Y. Times 13 June 11/2 A tautly intriguing and sometimes hair-raising spy film.
1972 ‘E. Ferrars’ Breath of Suspicion iii. 46 It struck Richard, that this must be a spy film.
spy-government n.
ΚΠ
1929 D. H. Lawrence Pansies 127 The big, flamboyant Russia Might have been saved if a pair Of rebels like Anna and Vronsky Had blasted the sickly air Of Dostoevsky and Tchekov, And spy-government everywhere.
spy-hunting n.
ΚΠ
1871 N. Sheppard Shut up in Paris 58 Crowd dissolves to wreak its wrath in spy-hunting.
spy-knave n.
ΚΠ
a1640 J. Fletcher et al. Beggers Bush iii. iv, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Ll3v/2 You are sent here, Sirra To discover certaine Gentlemen, a spy-knave.
spy-like adj.
ΚΠ
1602 B. Jonson Poetaster Induct. sig. A2 Spie-like suggestions, priuy whisperings, And thousand such promooting sleights as these. View more context for this quotation
1668 in Extracts State Papers (Friends' Hist. Soc.) (1912) 3rd Ser. 276 He may be imployed about busines from Holland, and soe spy like carry intelligence there.
spy-mania n.
ΚΠ
1892 Englishman in Paris II. xii. 275 The spy mania..became positively contagious.
1894 Daily News 21 Nov. 5/4 The recrudescence of the spy-mania in France.
spy movie n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [noun] > spy film
spy film1942
spy movie1969
1969 G. Lyall Venus with Pistol iii. 20 It's all a bit like some~thing out of a bad spy movie.
spy-net n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > counter-espionage > [noun] > suspected person > trap for
spy-net1955
1955 W. Tucker Wild Talent xvi. 215 A master spy-net, efficiently directed.
spy network n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > an organization of spies
net1869
ring1901
cloak and dagger1946
spy network1977
1977 G. Markstein Chance Awakening xxv. 76 Hentoff is..a key figure in a British-based spy network.
spy novel n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > novel > [noun] > spy novel
spy novel1919
spy story1923
spy thriller1952
1919 C. Mackenzie Sylvia & Michael vi. 222 Our spy-novels and spy-plays must have been of priceless assistance to the Germans.
1979 Guardian 1 Mar. 7/2 Literaturnaya Gazeta..cast doubt on the value of spy novels.
spy play n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > a play > [noun] > other types of play
king play1469
king game1504
historya1509
chronicle history1600
monology1608
horseplaya1627
piscatory1631
stock play1708
petite pièce1712
mimic1724
ballad opera1730
ballad farce1735
benefit-play1740
potboiler1783
monodrama1793
extravaganza1797
theo-drama1801
monodrame1803
proverb1803
stock piece1804
bespeak1807
ticket-night1812
dramaticle1813
monopolylogue1819
pièce d'occasion1830
interlude1831
mimea1834
costume piece1834
mummers' play1849
history play1850
gag-piece1860
music drama1874
well-made1881
playlet1884
two-decker1884
slum1885
kinderspiel1886
thrill1886
knockabout1887
two-hander1888
front-piece1889
thriller1889
shadow-play1890
mime play1894
problem play1894
one-acter1895
sex play1899
chronicle drama1902
thesis-play1902
star vehicle1904
folk-play1905
radio play1908
tab1915
spy play1919
one-act1920
pièce à thèse1923
dance-drama1924
a mess of plottage1926
turkey1927
weepie1928
musical1930
cliffhanger1931
mime drama1931
triangle drama1931
weeper1934
spine-chiller1940
starrer1941
scorcher1942
teleplay1947
straw-hatter1949
pièce noire1951
pièce rose1951
tab show1951
conversation piece1952
psychodrama1956
whydunit1968
mystery play1975
State of the Nation1980
1919Spy-play [see spy novel n.].
spy scandal n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > scandal arising from
spy scandal1977
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > infamy or notoriety > [noun] > a scandal or infamous event or state of things > type of
Teapot Dome1936
Watergate1973
spy scandal1977
1977 Arab Times 14 Dec. 1/1 Georg Leber, defending his role in a burgeoning spy scandal.
spy scare n.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > information > rumour > [noun] > about spies
spy scare1923
the mind > emotion > fear > quality of inspiring fear > causing apprehension or alarm > [noun] > alarm > something that alarms > rumours causing fears about spies
spy scare1923
1923 R. Macaulay Told by Idiot iii. xxi. 257 The German spy scare, the British spy scare, these fevers were worked up in the jingo press.
1976 J. Lee Ninth Man 74 I like an informed citizenry. Spy scares keep them alert.
spy school n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > training centre
spy school1968
1968 Observer 22 Dec. 11/2 New recruits..are sent for training to Group Four's headquarters... A large country house..it conjures up all the spy-school images.
spy series n.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > broadcasting > television > [noun] > type of programme
dramedy1905
news film1912
sex comedy1915
television adaptation1935
action comedy1936
sportcast1939
teleshopper1949
telethon1949
special1952
television special1952
TV special1952
science-fictioner1953
spectacular1954
promo1955
sitcom1956
spec1959
spin-off1959
reality programming1962
teleroman1964
mockumentary1965
serialization1965
talk show1965
laugh-in1967
novela1968
reality show1968
breakfast television1971
spy series1975
reality television1978
reality TV1980
series1988
shockumentary1988
1975 Listener 28 Aug. 281/4 Drama..is supplied by The Eiger Sanction..but only so far as the most standard of television spy series.
spy story n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > novel > [noun] > spy novel
spy novel1919
spy story1923
spy thriller1952
1923 R. D. Paine Comrades Rolling Ocean xv. 258 England was daffy over spy stories during the war.
1978 F. Maclean Take Nine Spies 333 The well-known story of the Watchmaker of Orkney..as neat a spy story as one could wish.
spy-system n.
ΚΠ
1823 T. Bewick Mem. (1975) xi. 103 This happy society was however, at length broken up, at the time when the War on behalf [of] despotism was raging & the Spy system was set afloat.
1880 J. McCarthy Hist. our Own Times IV. liii. 137 The spy system was soon flourishing in full force.
spy thriller n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > novel > [noun] > spy novel
spy novel1919
spy story1923
spy thriller1952
1952 I. Asimov Stars like Dust iv. 48 All young fools who get their notions of interstellar intrigue from the video spy thrillers are easily handled.
1977 Amer. Notes & Queries 15 76/2 Somehow, the categorization ‘spy thriller’..seems to diminish the ‘classic’ quality.
spy trial n.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > trying or hearing of cause > [noun] > trial > other types of trial
oyer?a1475
trial by proviso1676
political trial1774
drumhead court-martial1835
trial at bar1866
speedy trial1894
show trial1928
treason trial1930
war trial1949
split trial1960
spy trial1972
1972 K. Benton Spy in Chancery xxi. 249 I don't hanker after another spy trial, thank you.
spy work n.
ΚΠ
1804 J. Larwood No Gun Boats 23 Her Emissaries are at the secret spywork of observation and information.
1818 Cobbett's Weekly Polit. Reg. 33 50 It appears..that the Duke of Montrose..highly approved of his spy-work.
1915 J. Buchan Thirty-nine Steps vii. 184 It is ordinary spy work.
C2.
† spy-boat n. Obsolete a vessel used for purposes of observation.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > war vessel > [noun] > look-out or reconnaissance vessel
spy-boat1637
guard-ship1689
station ship1693
scout-ship1694
guard-boat1696
scout1706
lookout1761
lookout ship1762
watch-boat1789
patrol boat1854
spy-ship1858
picket boat1861
picket launch1864
scout vessel1869
vedette boat1884
picket ship1898
coastal1912
P boat1917
spotter1931
radar picket1945
1637 T. Heywood True Descr. Royall Ship 10 A kind of Spie-boates which waited upon a fleete at sea.
1693 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) III. 52 The German spy boat came upon the coast of France with a fleet of 16 French merchant men.
1704 London Gaz. No. 4019/2 Her Majesty's Spy Boat the Chatham Prize.
spy in the cab n. colloquial = tachograph n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > instrument panel or dashboard > tachograph
telltale1863
tachograph1909
tattle-tale1962
spy in the cab1968
1968 J. Kelson in Headlight Sept. 15/3 The tachograph is a gadget that has been hotly argued over..but..against all..obstacles to productivity and efficiency, the Spy in the Cab is the crowning irrelevancy of the age.
1980 Daily Tel. 30 Dec. 1/1 The new rules on drivers' hours and the use of tachographs, the so-called ‘Spy in the cab’, will come into force on Thursday.
spy in the sky n. a satellite or aircraft used to gather intelligence; frequently attributive (with hyphens).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > planet > primary planet > secondary planet, satellite > [noun] > artificial
subsatellite1817
moonlet1832
sputnik1957
spy in the sky1960
spy satellite1960
comsat1962
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > craft used for spying
spy-ship1858
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
spy satellite1960
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > gathering intelligence
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > [adjective] > types of satellite
spy in the sky1960
1960 N.Y. Times 12 June iv. 6/2 The U-2 reconnaissance ‘over~flights’ provided, by aerial photography and tape recording of Soviet radio and radar emissions, the most important intelligence gathered by the C.I.A. The ‘spy in the sky’ more than compensated for the very few spies on the ground that the United States has been able to infiltrate into Russia.
1961 Time 7 July 16 The spy-in-the-sky warning system.
1969 Daily Tel. 18 Apr. 24/8 The NSA..is responsible for ship, aircraft and ‘spy-in-the-sky’ satellite espionage.
1976 Daily News (N.Y.) 11 June (CB & Sound Suppl.) 2/1 Spy in the Sky, police aircraft.
1977 Time 23 May 33/2 A lot of the information is picked up by those spy-in-the-sky satellites.
spymaster n. the head of an organization of spies.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > an organization of spies > head of
lion1713
spymaster1943
Abwehr chief1945
control1963
1943 Time 18 Jan. 38/2 The Nazi spymaster and Naval Attaché, Captain Dietrich Niebuhr.
1978 A. Neave Nuremberg xiii. 148 The older generation remembered him for his incompetence as a spy-master in the United States during the First World War.
spy-money n. payment for the services of a spy.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > fee for services rendered > [noun] > payments for other specific services
barber feec1380
alnage1418
school fee1512
pinlocka1525
warden-fee1531
wait fee1563
fullage1611
pipe-moneya1637
marriage money1674
sharping-corn1681
spy-money1713
crimpage1732
cooperage1755
stirrup money1757
stub-money1776
membership fee1860
1713 J. Addison in Guardian 2 July 2/2 Spy-mony to John Trott her Footman, and Mrs. Sarah Wheedle her Companion.
spy plane n. an aircraft used to gather intelligence.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > craft used for spying
spy-ship1858
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
spy satellite1960
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > gathering intelligence
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
1960 Aeroplane 98 627/1 That the U-2 ‘Spy-plane’ operation is nothing new is evident from what I heard in America about three years ago.
1962 Spectator 14 Sept. 351 The Chinese..brought down an American spyplane.
1976 J. Poyer Day of Reckoning iv. 21 Wasn't there something about a spy plane—yes..the U-2 incident.
spy ring n.
ΚΠ
1943 D. Powell Time to be Born (new ed.) vi. 128 He had no secret mission to investigate the spy rings and unmask the Nazi agents.
1960 Guardian 22 July 1/2 The spy-ring members began checking on the habits of people working in radar..establishments.
1980 Times 22 Jan. 15/1 General Miyanaga, the leader of the spy ring, had been a Russian-speaking specialist working in intelligence for many years.
spy satellite n. a space satellite used to gather intelligence, usually military.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > planet > primary planet > secondary planet, satellite > [noun] > artificial
subsatellite1817
moonlet1832
sputnik1957
spy in the sky1960
spy satellite1960
comsat1962
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > craft used for spying
spy-ship1858
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
spy satellite1960
1960 Washington Post 29 Mar. a16 Much of the money..will go for additional Atlas intercontinental ballistic missiles in hardened sites and for acceleration of the Midas, or ‘spy’ satellite development.
1976 W. H. Canaway Willow-pattern War xx. 204 There's a camouflaged installation... You couldn't see it from a spy satellite.
spy-ship n. = spy-boat n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun] > craft used for spying
spy-ship1858
spy in the sky1960
spy plane1960
spy satellite1960
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > war vessel > [noun] > look-out or reconnaissance vessel
spy-boat1637
guard-ship1689
station ship1693
scout-ship1694
guard-boat1696
scout1706
lookout1761
lookout ship1762
watch-boat1789
patrol boat1854
spy-ship1858
picket boat1861
picket launch1864
scout vessel1869
vedette boat1884
picket ship1898
coastal1912
P boat1917
spotter1931
radar picket1945
1858 tr. Life of Xavier 188 The spy-ships which he had sent..to ascertain the fate of the contest between the Acheens and Portuguese.
1962 Daily Tel. 13 June 1/4 (heading) Fourth Soviet spyship watching U.S. tests.
1977 C. Forbes Avalanche Express xxiii. 242 The 17,000-ton Soviet freighter..the new pride of Soviet..spy ships.
Spy Wednesday n. in Irish use, the Wednesday before Easter (in allusion, it is said, to Judas).
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > liturgical year > feast, festival > specific Christian festivals > Holy Week > [noun] > Wednesday in
Good Wednesday1471
Holy Wednesday1613
Spy Wednesday1842
1842 S. Lover Handy Andy xxiii She spakes like a French spy,..and she was missin', I remember, all last Spy-Wednesday.
1963 M. Caulfield Easter Rebellion ii. 29 Sir Matthew probably hoped that the storm would blow itself out, though such hopes should have been dashed finally on Spy Wednesday, April 19, 1916.

Draft additions September 2004

spyware n. (a) any of various objects or pieces of equipment used for espionage; (b) Computing [ < spy n. + ware n.3, after software n.] , software that enables information to be gathered covertly about a person's computer activities, passwords, etc., and relayed to interested parties.
ΚΠ
1983 Newsweek 20 June 18/3 They displayed spyware, including an intricately carved wooden idol hollowed out to hold a decoding key and note pads that turned into chewing gum for easy disposal.
1994 Info wanted on Spy-ware in vmsnet.networks.misc (Usenet newsgroup) 5 Nov. Info wanted on spy-ware. Can anyone please give me some information about what is possible software and hardware-wise to spy on someone working on the computer?
2003 Daily Tel. 26 Aug. 28/6 The spyware will also log the website pages that you are visiting at the time and full details of the data you are keying in, such as your user ID and password.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

spyv.

Brit. /spʌɪ/, U.S. /spaɪ/
Forms: Middle English spien, Middle English–1600s spie (Middle English, 1500s spi); Middle English–1500s spye (Middle English speiȝe, Middle English spyȝe, spyyn), Middle English– spy. Also Middle English past participle spyne.
Etymology: < Old French espier espy v. Compare Middle Dutch spien (Dutch spieden), Middle Low German spêen, Middle Swedish speia, speya (Swedish speja), Old Norse speja, spæja.
I. transitive.
1.
a. To watch (a person, etc.) in a secret or stealthy manner; to keep under observation with hostile intent; to act as a spy upon (one).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > spy on [verb (transitive)]
waitc1200
spya1325
espyc1420
prog1566
tout1699
bespy1837
keyhole1871
to keep tabs (or a tab) on1889
tec1900
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > spy on [verb (transitive)] > pry
spya1325
to pry into ——1581
worm1607
peer1838
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 2172 Cume ge for non oðer ðing, But for to spien ur lord ðe king.
1338 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 40 Eilred ȝede þorgh his lond, priuely to spie Euerilkon þe Danes.
a1400 Sqr. Lowe Degre 641 The steward was ordeyned to spy And for to take them utterly.
c1480 (a1400) St. Paul 22 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 29 In Ierusalem he wes bofte, spyit, waitit, and bundyn ofte.
c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 154 Men may..barate thair jnymyes.., or ȝit ger spy thame, and se quhen thay ar jn disaray.
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) clix. 612 The same tyme there was on the mountayne .vi. theues who laye to spye the marchauntes.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 111 Sir Francis Staffords Lieutenant of his horse, sent by Sir Henri Daners to spy the rebels proceedings.
1870 Pall Mall Gaz. 22 Oct. 12 Since the commencement of the Empire one half of France spied the other half.1884 tr. Gaboriau's Little Old Man i Indignantly declaring that he was not in the habit of ‘spying’ the tenants of the house.
b. To make stealthy observations in (a country or place) from hostile motives. Also with out, esp. in to spy out the land; frequently figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (intransitive)] > observe or watch
spya1400
wait1399
espyc1405
watch1487
gate?1590
to look sharp1680
stag1796
to keep one's eyes peeled1844
to skin one's eyes1851
to peel one's eyes1875
to take sights1934
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (transitive)] > examine or inspect > find out or seek out by
spy1535
a1400 Coer de L. 718 With velanye Ye be come my londe to spye, And sum treson me for to don!
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4824 Þan said ioseph,..‘Bot er yee comen þe land to spi?’
1457 J. Hardyng Chron. in Eng. Hist. Rev. Oct. (1912) 751 [He] gafe me in commaundement Scotlonde to spye..How that it myght bene hostayed and distroyed.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 490 The toune he spyit, and that forthocht we sone.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Num. xiii. A The men, whom Moses sent forth to spye out the lande.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Num. xiii. B They went vp, & spyed the lande.
1626 W. Gouge Dignitie Chivalrie §3 Those choice men which were..sent to spie the Land of Canaan.
1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures xxii. 77 He sente two small Barques..to spy the Port, and sound the depth of the river.
1913 J. Galsworthy Dark Flower iii. v. 230 What had Dromore come for? To spy out the land, discover why Lennan and his wife thought nothing of the world ‘outside’.
1936 A. Christie ABC Murders xv. 112 This man must have been spying out the land beforehand and discovered your brother's habit of taking an evening stroll.
1958 P. H. Newby Ten Miles from Anywhere 124 Maybe you think I'm up to no good? A poultry thief spying out the land.
1979 A. Boyle Climate of Treason i. 32 An unofficial representative of the new Soviet régime arrived in London to spy out the land not long after the 1918 Armistice.
c. To (seek to) discover or ascertain by stealthy observation. Usually with subordinate clause.
ΚΠ
1338 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 83 Roberd about did spie, if Malcolme wild haf wrouht.
a1400 Pistill of Susan 122 Spyes now specialy if þe ȝatis be sperid.
c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Franklin's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 790 For wel he spyed whan she wolde go Out of hir hous to any maner place.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xv. 114 Thai gert spy That mony of schir eduardis men War scalit in the cuntre then.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 467 Spyand full fast quhar his awaill suld be.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. ix. 88 Luke that thou spy both far and nere,..If thou here any saghes sere..Of that lad.
1611 Bible (King James) 2 Kings vi. 13 Goe and spie where he is, that I may send and fetch him. View more context for this quotation
1828 E. Bulwer-Lytton Pelham III. xix. 321 Thornton..said he would go alone, to spy whether we might return.1864 Ld. Tennyson Aylmer's Field in Enoch Arden, etc. 80 Some low fever ranging round to spy The weakness of a people or a house.
2. To look out for, to seek an opportunity for, in a close or stealthy manner. Now rare.
ΚΠ
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xii. 15 In his herte he spieth, that he turne thee vp so doun in to the dich.
a1400 K. Alis. (Laud) 6998 Queed & harme he wil me spye.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 19715 Niȝte or day whenne þei myȝt spie Bi murþerment to do him diȝe.
c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 1774 Þe prowde prynce of perce..with ledes of armes, Þat now has spyed a space to spoyle Caldeez.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 5085 In speche may men spie the speker to know, And wete, by his wordes, the wit þat he beires.
1859 G. Meredith Juggling Jerry i One that outjuggles all 's been spying Long to have me, and he has me now.
3. To look at, examine, or observe closely or carefully; to see or behold; in modern use spec., to investigate with a spyglass or telescope.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (transitive)] > examine or inspect
through-lookc1175
spyc1325
to see overc1475
to see over ——1490
view1544
overview1549
sight1556
pervise1577
speculate1616
study1616
to have (also take) a look1673
to have a look1725
to eye over1795
scan1798
search1811
survey1860
skin1876
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > procedures used in spying > surveillance [verb (transitive)] > observe
spyc1325
pipe1846
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (transitive)] > look at through glass or glasses
side-glass1679
spectacle1744
eyeglass1828
spy1893
glass1935
c1325 Metr. Hom. 13 His sawel gern spied he [sc. Satan], Yef he moht se or find thar inne Any filth or spotte of sinne.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. ii. 225 Spiceres spoke with hym, to spien here ware.
c1440 Ipomydon 1730 I haue the spyed, sythe þou oute ȝede: Thou arte my lemman, as I haue thoght.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) Prol. 9 Quhen he hed contemplit & spyit the proportions & propreteis of nature.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. iv. sig. C8v And all the hinder partes, that few could spie, Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.
1812 H. Smith & J. Smith Rejected Addr. 32 Thy rival staggers; come and spy her Deep in the mud as thou art in the mire.
1871 B. Taylor tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust II. i. iii. 64 Great Pan in cheerful mood stands by, Rejoiced the wondrous things to spy.
1893 Earl of Dunmore Pamirs II. 78 I spied the whole ground, and never saw a beast.
4.
a. To catch sight of; to descry or discover; to notice or observe. Cf. espy v. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > attention > notice, observation > observe, note [verb (transitive)]
markc1175
note?c1225
heedc1275
apperceivec1300
spyc1380
notec1390
notac1392
registera1393
considerc1400
notifya1425
animadvert?a1475
mind1490
adnote1558
observe1560
quote1560
remark1581
to take note1600
apprehenda1634
to take cognizance of1635
animadverse1642
notice1660
to pass in review1697
smoke1716
cognize1821
spot1848
looky1900
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (transitive)] > succeed in seeing or catch sight of
underyetec1000
aspya1250
kenc1275
ofyetec1275
choosea1300
akenc1300
descrivec1300
ofkenc1300
readc1300
espyc1320
descryc1330
spyc1380
discernc1405
discover1553
scan1558
scry1558
decern1559
describe1574
to make out1575
escry1581
interview1587
display1590
to set sight of (in)c1595
sight1602
discreevec1650
glance1656
to catch a glimpse of1679
steal1731
oversee1735
glimpse1779
twig1796
to clap eyes on1838
spot1848
sky1900
c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1295 It miȝte hermye ȝow alle in cas if my fader miȝt it spie.
a1400 K. Alis. (Laud) 2183 A jolyf kyng ycleped barrys Spyeþ Alisaundres prys.
1404–8 26 Pol. Poems 29 [Let] No fende spot vppon þe spyȝe.
a1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 60 The theef..gothe and comithe till he be spied, and thanne is take.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xix. 528 The lord dowglas has spyit a vay, How that he mycht about thame ryd.
c1500 Lyfe Roberte Deuyll 823 in W. C. Hazlitt Remains Early Pop. Poetry Eng. (1864) I. 251 Themperoure..bade hys seruaunte throwe hym a bone. So he dyd, and whan Robert yt had spyne [etc.].
1575 W. Stevenson Gammer Gurtons Nedle ii. iv. sig. Civ Good lord, shall neuer be my lucke my neele agayne to spyee.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. i. sig. A4 A shadie groue not farr away they spide.
1626 S. D'Ewes Let. 4 Feb. in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1824) 1st Ser. III. 216 In my passage, spying a doore guarded by one.., I went, and..found an easie entrance.
1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot Trav. into Levant i. 166 When they spie that Fish, they strike him on the back with Harping-Irons.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 80 Looking out to Sea in hopes of seeing a Ship, then fancy at a vast Distance I spy'd a Sail.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth V. 138 By dilating the pupil, the animal..is enabled to spy its prey..in the dark.
1849 Sketches Nat. Hist.: Mammalia III. 13 There is great danger if the hippopotamus spies the huntsman before he can throw his spear.
1885 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche iii. xxv. 37 'Twill end our love If they should hear or spy thee from above.
in extended use.a1704 T. Brown On Duke of Ormond's Recovery in Wks. (1707) I. i. 74 His Mind enlarged and boundless as the Sky, Shall unknown Worlds and Heaven's Recesses spy.
b. With immaterial object.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > expressions of disapproval [interjection]
fie1297
avoyc1300
spyc1315
comec1450
tuta1529
oh1533
hum1598
rufty-tufty1606
aroint thee!1608
hoot1681
boo1778
hoots1824
boo hoo1825
now, now1847
aw1852
tch1898
tsk1947
c1315 Shoreham i. 1851 Ȝyf þet one weddeþ þe þral,..And ȝyf a spyet þat soþe þrof [etc.].
c1400 Ywain & Gaw. 3013 Our kyng..Passed thurgh many cuntre, Aventures to spir and spy.
?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 48 Thought I dispytit thaim agane, thai spyt it na thing.
1549 E. Allen tr. L. Juda Paraphr. Rev. St. John 4 Whan they spye any thing amysse in them selves.
1619 M. Drayton Poems (new ed.) 233 Feare seeing all, feares it of all is spy'd.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 1005 The latter..kickt the beam; Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the Fiend. View more context for this quotation
1734 I. Watts Reliquiæ Juveniles (1789) 95 Does nature find so much convenience, or spy so much decency in it?
1780 W. Cowper Let. 8 June (1979) I. 350 If you Spie any Faults in my Latin, tell me, for I am sometimes in doubt.
1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake i. 24 Her kindness and her worth to spy, You need but gaze on Ellen's eye.
1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain Introd. v. 7 Too oft my anxious eye has spied That secret grief thou fain would'st hide.
c. With clause as object.
ΚΠ
c1325 Song of Yesterday in Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 137 Whon þat he wol þe assayle, Þat wost þou not, ne neuer may spye.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 3399 Ac spacly þe spaynoles speiȝed he was slayne.
c1400 Gamelyn 490 Now I haue spied þat frendes haue I none.
1509 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure xxxv. 181 Besyde a ryver and a craggy roche This gyaunt was whyche spyed me approche.
1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 25 Let Christmas spye [1577 spy] yarde clene to lye.
1590 T. Lodge Rosalynde: Euphues Golden Legacie I 2 b Aliena..spied where the hare was by the hounds, and could see day at a little hole.
1673 J. Milton At Vacation Exercise in Poems (new ed.) 66 Thy drowsie Nurse hath sworn she did them spie Come tripping to the Room.
1859 Ld. Tennyson Guinevere in Idylls of King 226 For Sir Launcelot passing by Spied where he couch'd.
d. In the names of children's games: (a) hy-spy, I spy: see hy-spy n.; (b) I spy (with my little eye), a game in which one player selects an object (visible to all) for the others to guess, giving them its colour or its initial letter with the words ‘I spy with my little eye something (blue, etc.) or beginning with —’.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > parlour and party games > [noun] > guessing game > specific
what's my thought like?1748
twenty questions1786
charade1826
how, when, and where1843
proverbs1855
hy-spy1876
game1937
I spy (with my little eye)1946
1946 R. Lehmann Gipsy's Baby and Other Stories 80 We remained below and played I Spy—with colours, not the alphabet, so that my brother could join in.
1969 I. Opie & P. Opie Children's Games x. 275 Their participation in intellectual guessing games, even of the humble order of..‘I Spy With My Little Eye’, is apt to be limited to occasions when they are restricted and unable to play anything else.
1975 Lang. for Life (Dept. Educ. & Sci.) vi. 85 Stories, and such verbal games as ‘I-spy’ and ‘Knock-knock’, encourage children to explore speech sounds and help them develop a better intuitive understanding of these sounds.
5. To find out, to search or seek out, by observation or scrutiny.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > find out, discover [verb (transitive)] > by perception or observation
seeOE
wita1300
descrivec1300
descrya1450
spyc1515
to see into ——1565
scerne1590
guard1636
discreevec1650
spot1848
embrace1852
sniff1864
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lv. 188 As Huon foughte he spyed out the paynym that had gyuen him his swerde.
1530 W. Tyndale Prol. Epist. Rom. ⁋2 No man could spy out the intent, and meanyng of it.
1584 H. Llwyd & D. Powel Hist. Cambria 151 The Normans began to spie out the Commodities of Wales.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 1 The senses..are (as it were) our Sentinels and Watch-men, to spie out all dangers.
1650 T. Hubbert Pilula 69 They might spie out the Saints liberty.
1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 72 He can spy out the Faults in the Structure of a Boat, sooner than those of himself.
1782 F. Burney Let. 3–4 Nov. in Early Jrnls. & Lett. (2012) V. 137 Lady Shelley, who spied us out, sent us an invitation to her party.
1848 W. M. Thackeray Lett. 28 July I felt ashamed of myself for spying out their follies.
1893 F. M. Elliot Diary Constantinople vi. 128 One little black-eyed child..spied me out as I left the carriage.
II. intransitive.
6.
a. To make observations (now spec. with a spyglass); to keep watch; to be on the look out.
ΚΠ
a1300 Cursor Mundi 27372 Þe preist bi-gin þan his franyng, Sua o ferrum for to spi Til he find quar þe roting ly.
c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 780 Þere in longyng al nyȝt he lengez in wones, Whyl þe souerayn to Sodamas sende to spye.
c1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 2563 So long he spied day and night Til he hapened to haue a sight.
c1480 (a1400) St. Mark 137 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 243 Sa eftyre spyit þai, þat þai fand hyme one pasck-day.
?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 52 That I may spy vnaspyit a space me beside.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 728/2 I spye for one, I lye awayte for hym, je aguette.
a1631 J. Donne Break of Day in Songs & Sonn. ii If it [sc. light] could speake as well as spie, This were the worst that it could say.
1883 Longman's Mag. Nov. 73 After a very cursory glance round with my own glass, I shut it up and began talking as Charlie spied.
b. Const. at (a thing).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > see [verb (transitive)] > watch or observe
keepc1000
overseeOE
waitc1300
advisec1325
awaita1375
to wait on ——c1384
markc1400
contemplec1429
to keep (also have) an (or one's) eye on (also upon)a1450
to look straitly to?c1450
to wait after ——c1460
vizy1488
contemplatea1533
vise1551
pry?1553
observe1567
eye1592
over-eye?1592
watch1600
outwatch1607
spell1633
superintend1654
under-watch1654
tent1721
evigilate1727
twig1764
stag1796
eye-serve1800
spy1806
deek1825
screw1905
clock1911
1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. v. 95 While there was nothing in the house worth spying at.
1826 T. Hood Mermaid of Margate ii On Margate beach,..Where urchins wander to pick up shells, And the Cit to spy at the ships.
7.
a. To make stealthy or covert observations; to play the spy; to pry.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > be curious, wonder [verb (intransitive)] > pry
prya1350
toot1390
spyc1485
underpry1600
reave1615
nose1648
rave1671
poke1715
snoop1832
Paul-Pry1836
piroot1858
stickybeak1921
prodnose1954
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > spy, pry [verb (intransitive)]
spyc1485
nose1648
snoop1921
c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 224 [They may] trauaill jn were and pes..sa yat thare be na couerit malice vnder, as to spy.
1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. H3 Reuealing day through euery crannie spies . View more context for this quotation
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Mouscher, to spy, pry, sneake into corners, thrust his nose into euery thing.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) iii. iii. 152 As I confesse it is my natures plague, To spy into abuses. View more context for this quotation
a1637 B. Jonson Sad Shepherd i. vii. 22 in Wks. (1640) III But spie your worst, good Spie! I will dispose of this where least you like! View more context for this quotation
b. Const. on or upon (a person, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > feel curious about [verb (transitive)] > pry
overpry1566
to pry into ——1581
underfeel1600
to poke (also stick, thrust, etc.) one's nose into (also in)1611
spy1626
1626 J. Donne Lett. (1651) 315 But this evening I will spie upon the B[ishop].
1774 O. Goldsmith Grecian Hist. II. ii. 102 I am come to spy upon your vanity and ambition.
1853 G. J. Cayley Las Alforjas II. 141 What do you mean, sir, by spying upon my movements?
1891 F. W. Farrar Darkness & Dawn I. xiv. 117 It is no such pleasure to be Emperor with you to spy on me.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

> see also

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