spy

From Middle English spien, aphetic variant of earlier espien (“to espy”), from Old French espier (“to spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to see, look”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”). Akin to German spähen (“to spy”), Dutch spieden (“to spy”).

The noun displaced native Old English sċēawere (literally “watcher”), which was also the word for "mirror." In this sense, the verb displaced Old English sċēawian, which was also the word for "to watch" and became the Modern English word show.

• IPA^(key): /spaɪ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ

spy (plural spies)

1. A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).

   Synonyms: (obsolete) espy, intelligencer; see also Thesaurus:spy

   • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:

     Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

2. (American football) A defensive player assigned to cover an offensive backfield player man-to-man when they are expected to engage in a running play, but the offensive player does not run with the ball immediately.

• spyess (a female spy)
• spy ring

spy (third-person singular simple present spies, present participle spying, simple past and past participle spied)

1. (intransitive) To act as a spy.

   During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.

2. (transitive) To spot; to catch sight of.

   I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.

   • 1536 June 9, Hugh Latimer, Sermon preached before the convocation of the clergy:

     Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.

   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to a Young Clergyman

     One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.

   • 1818, John Keats, A Prophecy:

     Child, I see thee! Child, I spy thee!

3. (intransitive) To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene iii], page 324:

     (As I confeſſe it is my Natures plague / To ſpy into Abuſes, and of my iealouſie / Shapes faults that are not)

4. (transitive) To explore; to see; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.

• spy on
• spyhop

• spyglass
• spyware

• Wikipedia article on spies

• → Japanese: スパイ (supai)
• → Korean: 스파이 (seupai)

• PYs, SYP, YPs, pys

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (“to spit, vomit”). Compare Swedish and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

spy n (definite singular spyet) (uncountable)

1. barf (US), vomit, spew

spy (present tense spyr, simple past spydde, past participle spydd)

1. to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative)

• kaste opp

• “spy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse spýja. The noun is derived from the verb.

spy (present tense spyr, past tense spydde, past participle spydd/spytt, passive infinitive spyast, present participle spyande, imperative spy)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to vomit
2. (intransitive, about blowflies) to lay eggs

spy n (definite singular spyet, uncountable)

1. vomit, sick
2. (collective) eggs of a blowfly

• “spy” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• syp

From Old Norse spýja, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ptyēw- (“to spit, vomit”). Compare Norwegian and Danish spy, Icelandic spýja, English spew, Dutch spuwen, German speien.

• IPA^(key): /spyː/

spy (present spyr, preterite spydde, supine spytt, imperative spy)

1. to throw up, to vomit, to puke
   • 2015, Mons Kallentoft, Vårlik‎, Bokförlaget Forum, →ISBN:

     Hon känner magen dra sig samman och hon kastar sig åt sidan, spyr all galla ur magen och det känns oändligt skönt och hela hon är svett och en kylig fuktighet.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2018, Rune Pär Olofsson, Tillsammans‎, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     När jag hör det, vill jag spy. För det är en dubbelmoral. Och jag har tvingats spy upp den — gång på gång.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2019 December 19, Charlotta Lindgren, En hel jävla bok om cancer‎, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     Jag drabbades av järnbrist och förstoppning och jag spydde en hel del. I flera dagar var jag inlagd på lasarettet.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   Synonym: kräkas

• kaskadspy (“projectile vomit”)
• spy upp (“throw up”) (transitive)
• spyfärdig

• spya
• spyboll

• lägga en pizza

• pys