Philby

American

[fil-bee] / ˈfɪl bi /

noun

Harold Adrian Russell Kim, 1912–1998, British double agent: defected to U.S.S.R. 1963.

Philby British

/ ˈfɪlbɪ /

noun

Harold Adrian Russell, known as Kim. 1912–88, English double agent; defected to the Soviet Union (1963)
his father, H ( arry ) Saint John ( Bridger ). 1885–1960, British explorer, civil servant, and Arabist

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shortly before the end of the war, Philby was promoted to head of MI6's anti-Soviet section - meaning he was in charge of running operations against the Soviets while operating as a KGB agent.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

Another contributor was Kim Philby, the former MI6 officer and Soviet spy, who had been working for the Russians since the early 1930s.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2024

The central question for us was did Philby outwit Elliott?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023

Anna Maxwell Martin and Guy Pearce are excellent as Thomas and Philby, and Damian Lewis is outstanding as Elliott, the colorless spy’s spy whose skills and motives are in question until the end.

From New York Times • May 10, 2023

Philby answers confidently, in the plummy tones of the English upper class.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023