ETYMOLOGY Middle English spien, from Anglo-French espier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy; akin to Latin specere to look, look at, Greek skeptesthai & skopein to watch, look at, consider
DATE 13th century
transitive verb 1. to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes 2. to catch sight of :see 3. to search or look for intensively — usually used with out spy out places fit for vending…goods — S. E. Morison intransitive verb 1. to observe or search for something :look 2. to watch secretly as a spy
II
noun (pluralspies)
DATE 13th century
1. one that spies: a. one who keeps secret watch on a person or thing to obtain information b. a person employed by one nation to secretly convey classified information of strategic importance to another nation; also: a person who conveys the trade secrets of one company to another 2. an act of spying