a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, especially with reference to military or naval affairs.
a person who keeps close and secret watch on the actions and words of another or others.
a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, especially one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor: an industrial spy.
the act of spying.
verb (used without object),spied,spy·ing.
to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often followed by on or upon).
to act as a spy; engage in espionage.
to be on the lookout; keep watch.
to search for or examine something closely or carefully.
verb (used with object),spied,spy·ing.
to catch sight of suddenly; espy; descry: to spy a rare bird overhead.
to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often followed by out).
to observe (a person, place, enemy, etc.) secretively or furtively with hostile intent.
to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.
Origin of spy
1200–50; (v.) Middle English spien, aphetic variant of espien to espy; (noun) Middle English, aphetic variant of espy a spy <Old French espie
OTHER WORDS FROM spy
spyship,nounoutspy,verb (used with object),out·spied,out·spy·ing.su·per·spy,noun,pluralsu·per·spies.un·spied,adjective
un·spy·ing,adjective
Words nearby spy
Sputniks, sputter, sputtering, sputum, Spuyten Duyvil Creek, spy, spyglass, spyhole, spyhop, spymaster, spy on
She’s completely won Emily over by volunteering to act as her socialite spy.
Every episode of Gilmore Girls, ranked|Constance Grady|October 6, 2020|Vox
Many have turned to VPNs, or virtual private networks, thinking that they can protect you from snoopers and spies.
Free VPNs are bad for your privacy|Zack Whittaker|September 24, 2020|TechCrunch
However, recruiting and retaining the talent capable of building these tools is a challenge on many levels, especially since a spy agency can’t match Silicon Valley salaries, reputations, and patents.
CIA’s new tech recruiting pitch: More patents, more profits|Patrick O'Neill|September 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Tenet, a time-travel spy thriller starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, was originally slated as a summerlong “tentpole” release, expected to be among the highest-grossing movies of the year.
Will ‘Tenet’ revive U.S. movie theaters as it’s finally released?|dzanemorris|September 3, 2020|Fortune
Normally, silence and secrecy are inherent in the spy business.
The man who built a spyware empire says it’s time to come out of the shadows|Bobbie Johnson|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It is a spy series at its core, but you guys never really pull from the headlines.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And after the film premiered in Telluride, you were accused by Iran State Media of being a “Zionist” CIA spy.
Jon Stewart Talks ‘Rosewater’ and the ‘Chickensh-t’ Democrats’ Midterm Massacre|Marlow Stern|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Once a spy, always a spy,” his friend responded; this was a common Soviet saying.
How the Fall of the Berlin Wall Radicalized Putin|Masha Gessen|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That alliance between the spy agency and the military, forged in Iraq, would forever change the way America fights wars.
How the NSA Became a Killing Machine|Shane Harris|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, my third book, changed my life and put me on bare-knuckle terms with my abilities.
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece|John le Carré|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Ignacio knew that the Spanish officer was glad enough to believe the story the spy told him.
A Prisoner of Morro|Upton Sinclair
He has been tried as a spy, condemned as a spy, and shall be executed as a spy, and the flag is ordered to depart immediately.
Elsie and Her Loved Ones|Martha Finley
Some of our folk are almost out of their minds about it, and declare you to be either a brigand in disguise or a spy.
Dead Souls|Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
The priests had dragged this young boy into their den, and taught him to play the spy on his father and mother.
Pilgrimage from the Alps to the Tiber|James Aitken Wylie
Even though he was an enemy of her country, a man to be hated, a spy, she could not help being glad for his presence there.
The Apartment Next Door|William Andrew Johnston
British Dictionary definitions for spy
spy
/ (spaɪ) /
nounpluralspies
a person employed by a state or institution to obtain secret information from rival countries, organizations, companies, etc
a person who keeps secret watch on others
obsoletea close view
verbspies, spyingorspied
(intr usually foll by on) to keep a secret or furtive watch (on)
(intr)to engage in espionage
(tr)to catch sight of; descry
Word Origin for spy
C13 spien, from Old French espier, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German spehōn, Middle Dutch spien