spy
a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, especially with reference to military or naval affairs.
a person who keeps close and secret watch on the actions and words of another or others.
a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, especially one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor: an industrial spy.
the act of spying.
to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often followed by on or upon).
to act as a spy; engage in espionage.
to be on the lookout; keep watch.
to search for or examine something closely or carefully.
to catch sight of suddenly; espy; descry: to spy a rare bird overhead.
to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often followed by out).
to observe (a person, place, enemy, etc.) secretively or furtively with hostile intent.
to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.
Origin of spy
1Other words from spy
- spyship, noun
- outspy, verb (used with object), out·spied, out·spy·ing.
- su·per·spy, noun, plural su·per·spies.
- un·spied, adjective
- un·spy·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use spy in a sentence
Even if spies don’t get access to the nation’s secrets, they can still gather information on politicians that could be useful.
What we know about Rep. Eric Swalwell’s ties to an alleged Chinese spy | Amber Phillips | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostWhen Tanvir denied it, they shifted their message, suddenly offering him money and immigration benefits for his wife if he agreed to become a spy.
Supreme Court rules for Muslims placed on no-fly list after refusing to become FBI informants | Robert Barnes | December 10, 2020 | Washington PostBy embedding invisible images known as spy pixels in the message, senders can find out when you opened it, where you were, what device you were on, and how much time you spent scrolling through the contents.
The most significant security innovations of 2020 | By Yael Grauer and Purbita Saha | December 2, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThe man said he was going undercover at various companies to ferret out would-be leakers and spies.
How a ‘diabolical’ former DEA staffer conned the intelligence community | Rachel Weiner | October 28, 2020 | Washington PostJust as an aside, the Westminster mission showed the reward as a silhouette of a man with a beret, but the spy turned out to be a middle-aged woman in a sharp blazer armed with a silencer.
‘Watch Dogs: Legion’ review in progress: Virtual London is legit, but story’s a snooze so far | Gene Park | October 28, 2020 | Washington Post
The reasons for detention ranged from suspected spying to having an open beer bottle in public.
The Corrupt Cops of Rebel-Held East Ukraine | Kristina Jovanovski | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHow culpable are sites like Facebook, Google, and Apple in aiding potential spying, and the loss of privacy?
One road leads to freedom, sharing, and equality; the other to endless spying, a hierarchical structure, and repression.
How Four Upstarts Built and Crashed the Anti-Facebook | Jake Whitney | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTrust us, the Obama administration said, about spying on Americans and restarting the economy through “shovel-ready” programs.
There was a time not that long ago when governments more or less monopolized spying on political protests.
A Double Agent App Targets Hong Kong’s Protesters | Jacob Siegel | October 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOnly the quick wink of his eye reassures me of his interest, and gives warning of the spying guard.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanSo spying of Payne in a gully, I went into him, and there staid, thinking to have gone to Chelsy with them.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete | Samuel PepysThen, making up his mind suddenly, he went down the arcade and out onto the sidewalk, for spying was not in his nature.
The Woman Gives | Owen Johnson“I feel just as if it was the guardian spirit of an evil place, that it is spying on us and plotting to harm us,” she confessed.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterHe need not fear being lost in the streets should he lose touch with those he was spying upon.
Star Born | Andre Norton
British Dictionary definitions for spy
/ (spaɪ) /
a person employed by a state or institution to obtain secret information from rival countries, organizations, companies, etc
a person who keeps secret watch on others
obsolete a close view
(intr usually foll by on) to keep a secret or furtive watch (on)
(intr) to engage in espionage
(tr) to catch sight of; descry
Origin of spy
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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