spying

Etymology 1

From spy + -ing.

verb

1. present participle and gerund of spy

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle English spyinge, spiyng, spyeng, equivalent to spy + -ing.

noun

1. espionage; the act of secretly gathering information
   There are two ways in which the obsessive character of jealousy tends to exert itself: one is in the need to know, the endless tests and investigations and spyings that are so characteristic of jealousy. 1980, Amélie Rorty, Explaining Emotions, page 472