spy (spaɪ
)
Definitions
noun
Word forms: plural, spies
- a person employed by a state or institution to obtain secret information from rival countries, organizations, companies, etc
- a person who keeps secret watch on others
- obsolete a close view
verb
Word forms: spies, spying, spied
- (intr) usually foll by on to keep a secret or furtive watch (on)
- (intr) to engage in espionage
- (tr) to catch sight of; descry
Word Origin
C13 spien, from Old French espier, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German spehōn, Middle Dutch spienSynonyms
View thesaurus entry= undercover agent
secret agent,
double agent,
secret service agent
foreign agent,
mole,
fifth columnist,
nark,
Translations
- British English:
spy
A spy is a person whose job is to find out secret information about another country or organization.He used to be a spy.spaɪ NOUN He used to be a spy.
- Spanish:
espía
nm
- French:
espion
nm
- German:
Spion
nm Spionin
- Chinese: 间谍 n
- Arabic: جَاسُوس n
- Portuguese: espião n espiã
- Russian: шпион nm шпионка
- Croatian: špijun nm
- Czech: špion nm špionka
- Danish: spion nutr
- Dutch: spion nm
- Finnish: vakooja n
- Greek: κατάσκοπος n
- Italian: spia nf
- Japanese: スパイ n
- Korean: 스파이 n
- Norwegian: spion nm
- Polish: szpieg nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: espião n espiã
- European Spanish:
espía
nm
- Swedish: spion nutr
- Thai: นักสืบ n
- Turkish: casus n
- Vietnamese: gián điệp n
- British English:
spy
Someone who spies for a country or organization tries to find out secret information for them about other countries or organizations.The two countries are still spying on one another.spaɪ VERB The two countries are still spying on one another.
- Spanish:
espiar
v
- French:
espionner
vt
- German:
spionieren
v
- Chinese: 密探 vi
- Arabic: يَتَجَسَّسُ vi
- Portuguese: espiar vi
- Russian: шпионить vi
- Croatian: uhoditi v
- Czech: špehovat vi
- Danish: spionere v
- Dutch: spioneren vi
- Finnish: vakoilla v
- Greek: κατασκοπεύω v
- Italian: spiare v
- Japanese: 見張る v
- Korean: 몰래 감시하다 vi
- Norwegian: spionere v
- Polish: szpiegować vi
- Brazilian Portuguese: espionar vi
- European Spanish:
espiar
v
- Swedish: spionera vi
- Thai: สืบ vi
- Turkish: casusluk etmek v
- Vietnamese: theo dõi v
Usage examples
There were books everywhere: spy novels, histories, biographies.
, YESTERDAY'S SHADOW (2002)Not long afterward, the FBI agent Idema claimed supervised his fraud investigation Earl Edwin Pitts was discovered to be a Russian spy.
Maxim (2005)In 1964, at the height of the Cold War, the RCMP arrested Watkins because the CIA thought he was a spy.
Globe and Mail (2003)West Belfast republican Mr Scappaticci is urging Security Minister Jane Kennedy to confirm he was not a top British spy inside the IRA.
Belfast Telegraph (2003)The fact that he had offered to spy on the Russians was only revealed twenty-five years later in his memoirs.
, SIGNOR MARCONI'S MAGIC BOX: The invention that sparked the radio revolution (2003)