espy

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. cognates * Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai, “to examine; to look at; to consider, think”) * Italian spiare * Latin speciō (“to look at, observe, watch”) * Old High German spehōn (modern German spähen) * Occitan espiar * Spanish espiar

verb

1. (transitive)
   1. 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.
      to espy land    to espy a man in a crowd
      [T]he Lark (poore bird!) afarre eſpi'th / Her yet unfeather'd children (vvhom to ſave / She ſtrives in vain) ſlain by the fatall ſithe, / VVhich from the medovv her green locks doth ſhave, / That their vvarm neſt is novv become their grave; […] 1610, G[iles] Fletcher, “Christs Triumph over Death”, in Christ’s Victory and Triumph, in Heaven, and Earth, over and after Death.[…], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel, for Richard Royston, published 1640, →OCLC, stanza 67, page 68
      The faults hee eſpyeth in others, he vvill comdemn in himſelfe; if not in the act and habit, vvhich grace preſerueth him from, yet in the ſeedes and inclination: […] 1629, Thomas Taylor, “Signes of Repentance, in Respect of Others”, in The Practice of Repentance, Laid Downe in Sundry Directions, together with the Helps, Lets, Signes and Motiues.[…], 2nd edition, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for I. Bartlet[…], →OCLC, pages 340–341
      Thou eſpiedſt the ſhallop's ſcarlet ſtreamer from far, and joyfully ſhoutedſt: Behold Lars cometh! Quoted from Mr. Dallager the Factor’s Relation, page 46. 1767, David Crantz, “Of the Sciences of the Greenlanders”, in John Gambold], transl., The History of Greenland: Containing a Description of the Country, and Its Inhabitants:[…], London: […] [F]or the Brethren’s Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel among the Heathen; and sold by J[ames] Dodsley,[…], →OCLC, § 48, page 239
      Bimala looked at the direction in silence. Deep and hard breathings entered her ear, and she espied something near the road. 1880, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, “Diggaja’s Courage”, in Charu Chandra Mookerjee, transl., Durgesa Nandini: Or The Chieftain’s Daughter.[…], Calcutta, West Bengal: H. M. Mookerjee & Co., →OCLC, page 62
      "Ha!" said John, espying the open casket, "where did you get all that jewelry?" 1893, Horatio Alger, Jr., “The Casket of Jewels”, in Cast upon the Breakers, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, published 1974, page 44
      By the turn of the 18th century, when Captain [John] Cranby espied [Emanuel] Wynn's skull and crossbones, the piracy trade was flourishing and ambitious pirates were becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they operated. 1 May 2011, Alice Rawsthorn, “Skull and crossbones as branding tool”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-05-10
   2. To see (someone or something) without foreplanning or unexpectedly.
   3. (obsolete)
      1. To observe (someone or something) as a spy; also, to examine or observe (someone or something) carefully; or to look out or watch for.
      2. To become aware of (a fact, information, etc.).
         O Moſt and Gracious Father, the ſearcher of all hearts; vvho ſeeſt my dovvn-lying as vvell as up riſing, darkneſs and light being both alike to thee; vvho art near unto all my vvays, and eſpyeſt my thoughts vvhile they are yet afar off, I have here ſet my ſelf before thee to pay my evening homage, […] 1670, [Edward Wetenhall], “A Form of Prayer, Made as the Other, which May be Used in Our Evening Privacy”, in Enter into Thy Closet: Or, A Method and Order for Private Devotion.[…], 3rd edition, London: […] John Martyn,[…], →OCLC, pages 97–98
2. (intransitive, archaic) To observe as a spy, to spy; also, to examine or observe carefully; or to look out or watch.

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. cognates * Italian spia * Spanish espia

noun

1. (countable)
   1. An act of finding out or observing by spying or looking; an espial or espying.
   2. A scout or spy.
2. (uncountable) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means; espionage.