espy

[ ih-spahy ]
See synonyms for espy on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),es·pied, es·py·ing.
  1. to see at a distance; catch sight of.

Origin of espy

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English espien, espyen, from Old French espier, ultimately from Germanic; compare German spähen “to look out”; see also skeptic, speculate

Other words for espy

Other words from espy

  • un·es·pied, adjective

Other definitions for Espy (2 of 2)

Espy
[ es-pee ]

noun
  1. James Pol·lard [pol-erd], /ˈpɒl ərd/, 1785–1860, U.S. meteorologist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use espy in a sentence

  • The light sound of his wheels had died away before she espied Sues tall figure coming quickly towards her.

    Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater
  • From her point, the upper part alone could be espied, but what concern had she in the servants' quarters in a house?

    Balsamo, The Magician | Alexander Dumas
  • At a turning in the road I saw the trusty messenger seated; and as he espied me and arose, I hastened to meet him.

    Confessions of a Thug | Philip Meadows Taylor
  • The moment the watchman, posted on the platform of the donjon, espied from afar a troop of travelers, he sounded his horn.

  • After the feeling had come to her, to heighten the sensation she espied a little card hung under the small mirror on the wall.

British Dictionary definitions for espy

espy

/ (ɪˈspaɪ) /


verb-pies, -pying or -pied
  1. (tr) to catch sight of or perceive (something distant or previously unnoticed); detect: to espy a ship on the horizon

Origin of espy

1
C14: from Old French espier to spy, of Germanic origin

Derived forms of espy

  • espier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Espy

Espy

[ ĕs ]


  1. American meteorologist who is credited with the first correct explanation of the role heat plays in cloud formation and growth. His use of the telegraph in relaying meteorological observations and tracking storms laid the foundation for modern weather forecasting.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.