From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spy \Spy\ (sp[imac]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spied} (sp[imac]d);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Spying}.] [OE. spien, espien, OF. espier, F.
['e]pier, OHG. speh[=o]n, G. sp[aum]hen; akin to L. specere
to see, Skr. spa[,c]. [root] 169. Cf. {Espy}, v. t.,
{Aspect}, {Auspice}, {Circumspect}, {Conspicuous}, {Despise},
{Frontispiece}, {Inspect}, {Prospect}, {Respite}, {Scope},
{Specimen}, {Spectacle}, {Specter}, {Speculate}, {Spice},
{Spite}, {Suspicion}.]
1. To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state
of concealment; to espy; to see.
[1913 Webster]
One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he
spied a note of admiration. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
2. To discover by close search or examination.
[1913 Webster]
Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be
reformed in the church of England. --Latimer.
[1913 Webster]
3. To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a
country; -- usually with out.
[1913 Webster]
Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the
villages thereof. --Num. xxi.
32.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
spying
n 1: keeping a secret or furtive watch
2: the act of keeping a secret watch for intelligence purposes
[syn: {spying}, {undercover work}]
3: the act of detecting something; catching sight of something
[syn: {detection}, {catching}, {espial}, {spying},
{spotting}]
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