| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024spy /spaɪ/USA pronunciation n., pl. spies, v., spied, spy•ing. n. [countable] - a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another country, usually an enemy:Spies who are caught in time of war are shot.
- one who keeps close and secret watch on another or others:We had a spy in our business who told our rivals all our secret plans.
v. - to observe or watch secretively, usually with hostile intent:[~ + on/upon + object]He was spying on everyone.
- to act as a spy;
perform espionage:[no object]He spied for several years but made no reports until ordered to. - to catch sight of:[~ + object]to spy a rare bird.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024spy (spī),USA pronunciation n., pl. spies, v., spied, spy•ing.
n. - a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, esp. 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, esp. one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor:an industrial spy.
- the act of spying.
v.i. - to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often fol. 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.
v.t. - to catch sight of suddenly;
espy;
descry:to spy a rare bird overhead. - to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often fol. 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.
- Old French espie
- 1200–50; (verb, verbal) Middle English spien, aphetic variant of espien to espy; (noun, nominal) Middle English, aphetic variant of espy a spy
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: spy /spaɪ/ n ( pl spies)- 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
- obsolete a close view
vb (spies, spying, spied)- (intransitive) usually followed by on: to keep a secret or furtive watch (on)
- (intransitive) to engage in espionage
- (transitive) to catch sight of; descry
Etymology: 13th Century spien, from Old French espier, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German spehōn, Middle Dutch spien |