Alphabet:
[spˈa͡ɪ], [spˈa‍ɪ], [s_p_ˈaɪ]
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Definitions of spy

  1.   a secret agent hired by a state to obtain ( military) information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
  2.   To see; to discover at a distance or in a state of concealment; to examine secretly; to explore.
  3.   ( military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
  4.   One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.
  5.   A person sent secretly into an enemy's camp, territory, or fortifications, to inspect his works, ascertain his strength, movements, or designs, and to communicate such intelligence to the proper officer.
  6.   catch sight of
  7.   To discover by close search or examination.
  8.   One sent into an enemy's country or camp to find out their strength, etc.: one who keeps a watch on others: one who secretly conveys information.
  9.   One who watches others secretly.
  10.   A person who in time of war enters the enemy's camp to gain information; one who keeps watch on others; secret agent.
  11.   One who secretly inspects an enemy's camp or country; one who watches or pries into the affairs of others. esp. By sharp sight or close observation; to inspect secretly.
  12.   To explore; to view; inspect; and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out.
  13.   a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; " my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"
  14.   Spying.
  15.   One who secretly watches the conduct, condition, actions, & c., of a person, in order to report them to another; a secret agent; one who secretly conveys the transactions of others; a secret agent; one who secretly conveys the transactions of others.
  16.   To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
  17.   To play the spy.
  18.   To discover, especially at a distance; discover by looking carefully; detect; explore secretly.
  19.   Spied.
  20.   To see: to discover, generally at a distance: to discover by close search: to inspect secretly:- pa. t. and pa. p. spied.
  21.   One who enters an enemy's lines covertly to get information.
  22.   secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage; " spy for the Russians"
  23.   To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.
  24.   watch, observe, or inquire secretly
  25.   To examine narrowly; keep watch secretly: often with on or upon.
  26.   A person sent into an enemy's camp to watch and report what is going on; one set to watch or one who watches the conduct of others.
  27.   To discover at a distance; to gain sight of; to inspect or examine secretly; to find out by artifice; to play the spy.
  28.   To see by looking carefully or secretly; discover; discern.
  29.   To act as a spy; investigate; pry.

Antonyms for spy

patriot, loyalist.

Quotes of spy

  1. Like any good spy novel, the Cox Report alleges that Chinese spies penetrated four U. S. weapons research labs and stole important information on seven nuclear warhead designs. – Charles Foster Bass
  2. I probably read Harriet the Spy about 70, 000 times. – Alison Bechdel
  3. What I'm getting at is, you know, if we really want to get serious about helping all the people living in the street and getting people jobs, we could just hire half the people in the country to spy on the other half. – Jello Biafra
  4. It's about these people who are inextricably together for whatever reasons, and they happen to be in the spy world. It's about relationships, and the bottom line is, that's why you care. – Victor Garber
  5. The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You're there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing. Everything is useful to a writer, you see- every scrap, even the longest and most boring of luncheon parties. – Graham Greene
  6. In a few days an officer came to our camp, under a flag of truce, and informed Hamilton, then a captain of artillery, but afterwards the aid of General Washington, that Captain Hale had been arrested within the British lines condemned as a spy and executed that morning. – William Hull
  7. I've always wanted to be a spy and frankly I'm a little surprised that British intelligence has never approached me. – Elizabeth Hurley
  8. I have no spy stories to tell, because I saw no spies. Nor did I understand, at that time, any opposition between American and Russian national interest. – Elia Kazan
  9. They were conspiring to desert us in the night and steal some of our horses... we engaged a spy – Zebulon Pike
  10. The Spy Act prohibits keystroke logging, hijacking, and phishing. – Cliff Stearns
  11. I always liked spy stories. – Walter Wager
  12. That's when it really came together for me that I was in a Bond film, to have my own spy car! – Rick Yune
  13. I don't like to go to the movies to see violence or some kind of spy thing with all kinds of information you have to assimilate to understand the plot. – Pia Zadora

Usage examples for spy

  1. “ Danger is near," thought the spy ” – A Struggle for Rome, Vol. 2 (of 3) by Felix Dahn
  2. “ To her knowledge she had never seen this woman before, but she knew enough of the times they lived in to be sure that she was a spy of the priests. ” – Lysbeth A Tale Of The Dutch by H. Rider Haggard
  3. “ With my spy glass I recognized some of the Gyanema men. ” – An Explorer's Adventures in Tibet by A. Henry Savage Landor
  4. “ As to the spy upon his actions, that was plain enough. ” – The Parson O' Dumford by George Manville Fenn
  5. “ And, Mrs. Bonner, you think that girl is a spy ” – The Imaginary Marriage by Henry St. John Cooper
  6. “ Just what would you have us settle, spy ” – Evil Out of Onzar by Mark Ganes
  7. “ Oh, but he wasn't a thief, he wasn't a spy ” – The Tin Soldier by Temple Bailey
  8. “ " Tell her yourself," said Lucy; and when, after breakfast, Lenora, anxious to spy out everything, appeared in the kitchen, Aunt Polly called out, " Did you hear anything last night, Miss Lenora?" ” – Homestead on the Hillside by Mary Jane Holmes
  9. “ I tell you he's a spy general. ” – Steve Yeager by William MacLeod Raine
  10. “ She blushed, she became nervous and confused, and to the old people these were plain signs of guilt- guilt of some fearful sort or other- without doubt she was a spy and a traitor. ” – The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) Last Updated: February 18, 2009
  11. “ 2 to 17. Why were these people sent to spy out the land? ” – The Bible: what it is by Charles Bradlaugh
  12. “ If he went ashore, he would be taken to the guard- house, questioned, probably put into prison, perhaps tried as a spy ” – Winning His Way by Charles Carleton Coffin
  13. “ We know this Gledware is a spy whatever he says, and that he brought the kid along for protection. ” – Lahoma by John Breckinridge Ellis
  14. “ Jackal was to take the lead to act as spy and when he was able to draw Lion to one side, he said to him: See here, I do not trust this affair one bit, and I want to tell you straight out, I am going to make tracks! ” – South-African Folk-Tales by James A. Honey
  15. “ And I am not a spy ” – The Abandoned Room by Wadsworth Camp
  16. “ " The time is short, Evremonde," said the Spy in a warning voice. ” – A Tale of Two Cities A Story of the French Revolution by Charles Dickens
  17. “ " I wonder why Frank don't send some one out to act as a spy said Charles. ” – Frank, the Young Naturalist by Harry Castlemon
  18. “ Spy or no spy we done that man wrong. ” – Judith of the Cumberlands by Alice MacGowan
  19. “ Every body knows how to play " I spy ” – Remarks by Bill Nye
  20. “ Perhaps he had a spy glass, too! ” – Patsy by S. R. Crockett

Rhymes for spy

Idioms for spy