spaɪ n. & v. --n. (pl. spies) 1 a
person who secretly collects
and reports
information on
the activities, movements,
etc., of an
enemy,
competitor, etc. 2 a person who keeps
watch on others,
esp. furtively. --v. (spies, spied) 1 tr.
discern or
make out, esp. by
careful observation (spied a
house in the distance). 2 intr. (often foll. by on)
act as a spy,
keep a close and
secret watch. 3 intr. (often foll. by into) pry. øI spy a children's game of guessing a
visible object from the
initial letter of
its name. spy-master colloq. the
head of an
organization of spies. spy out
explore or
discover, esp. secretly. [ME f. OF espie espying, espier
espy f. Gmc]