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
To espy something is to see it, or glimpse it. If you look through binoculars long enough, you might espy a colorful bird. Though you can use the verb espy whenever you want to say "see," "spot," or "notice," it's primarily a literary word that you'll mostly find in books. One character might espy another strolling in a garden, or a pipe-smoking detective might espy a clue behind a parlor door. Espy comes from the Old French espiier, "observe, watch or spy on," from a Germanic root.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fortunately, that Seahawks-sinking goal-line grab didn't win the "best play" ESPY, which Ciara had the honor of presenting.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2015
Your Monday piece on the "lows and highs" of this "silly" gladiator sport of football was easily worth a Pulitzer or an Emmy or at least an ESPY.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
