espy

[ih-spahy]

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verb (used with object), es·pied, es·py·ing.

to see at a distance; catch sight of.

Origin of espy

1175–1225; Middle English espyen < Old French espier ≪ Germanic; compare German spähen to spy

Related formsun·es·pied, adjective

Synonyms for espy

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR espy ON THESAURUS.COM

discern, descry, discover, perceive, make out.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for espied

Historical Examples of espied

But just then he espied the transfigured face of the girl in pink.
A Breath of Prairie and other stories
Will Lillibridge
Espied for a moment, it was immediately afterwards lost in the darkness.
His Masterpiece
Emile Zola
It was in a pause for breath that she raised her infuriated head and espied the intruder.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
In the distance down one of these he espied some slaves at work.
Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
As they approached the tan-vats he espied a carbine lying on the ground.
Three Years in the Federal Cavalry
Willard Glazier

British Dictionary definitions for espied

espy

verb -pies, -pying or -pied

(tr) to catch sight of or perceive (something distant or previously unnoticed); detectto espy a ship on the horizon

Derived Formsespier, noun

Word Origin for espy

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

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

Word Origin and History for espied

espy

early 13c., aspy, from Old French espier (12c., Modern French épier), from Vulgar Latin *spiare, from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German spehon "to spy;" see spy). Related: Espied. For initial e-, see especial.

Science definitions for espied

Espy

[ĕs′pē]James Pollard 1785-1860

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.