espy

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪˈspaɪ/, /ɛ-/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈspaɪ/, /ɛ-/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

From Middle English aspien, espien (“to make covert observations of (a person or place) with hostile intent, to spy on; to seek to discover by spying; to act as a spy; to catch sight of, see; to look over, observe; to wait in ambush, to ambush; to plot against; to look for, seek to find; to inquire or look into, investigate; to discover, find”) [and other forms],^[1] from Old French espier (“to watch”) (modern French épier (“to keep an eye on, watch; to spy on; (dated) to watch for”)), from Vulgar Latin *spiāre, from Frankish *spehōn (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to look, peer; to spy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look, observe, see”).^[2] Doublet of spy.

espy (third-person singular simple present espies, present participle espying, simple past and past participle espied)

1. (transitive)
   1. To find out or observe (someone or something, especially if not easy to see) by spying or looking; to catch sight of; to see; to spot.

      Synonyms: descry, discern, discover; see also Thesaurus:spot

      to espy land    to espy a man in a crowd

      • 1531, Thomas Elyot, “The Seconde and Thirde Decay of Lernyng amonge Gentilmen”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC, 1st book, page 60:

        No wyse man entreth in to a gardein but he sone espiethe good herbes from nettiles, and treadeth the nettiles under his feete whiles he gadreth good herbes.

      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:

        For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye.

      • 1593, Tho[mas] Nashe, Christs Teares Over Ierusalem. […], London: […] Iames Roberts, and are to be solde by Andrewe Wise, […], →OCLC, folio 43, recto:

        [T]hou eſpyedſt a poore drunken Begger (his belly beeing full) heyghing, leaping and dauncing, fetching ſtrange youthfull friskes, & taking care for nothing.

      • 1610, G[iles] Fletcher, “Christs Triumph over Death”, in Christ’s Victory and Triumph, in Heaven, and Earth, over and after Death. […], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel, for Richard Royston, published 1640, →OCLC, stanza 67, page 68:

        [T]he Lark (poore bird!) afarre eſpi'th / Her yet unfeather'd children (vvhom to ſave / She ſtrives in vain) ſlain by the fatall ſithe, / VVhich from the medovv her green locks doth ſhave, / That their vvarm neſt is novv become their grave; […]

      • 1629, Thomas Taylor, “Signes of Repentance, in Respect of Others”, in The Practice of Repentance, Laid Downe in Sundry Directions, together with the Helps, Lets, Signes and Motiues. […], 2nd edition, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for I. Bartlet […], →OCLC, pages 340–341:

        The faults hee eſpyeth in others, he vvill comdemn in himſelfe; if not in the act and habit, vvhich grace preſerueth him from, yet in the ſeedes and inclination: […]

      • 1680, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], 5th edition, Edinburgh: […] Iohn Cairns, […], →OCLC, page 83:

        Now when they were got almoſt quite out of this Wilderneſs, Faithful chanced to caſt his eye back, and eſpied one coming after them, and he knew him.

      • 1666, John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: […], London: […] George Larkin, →OCLC, paragraph 116, page 40:

        Then began I vvith ſad and careful heart, to conſider of the nature and largeneſs of my ſin, and to ſearch in the vvord of God, if I could in any place eſpy a vvord of Promiſe, or any encouraging Sentence by vvhich I might take relief.

      • 1767, David Crantz, “Of the Sciences of the Greenlanders”, in [John Gambold], transl., The History of Greenland: Containing a Description of the Country, and Its Inhabitants: […], London: […] [F]or the Brethren’s Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel among the Heathen; and sold by J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, § 48, page 239:

        Thou eſpiedſt the ſhallop's ſcarlet ſtreamer from far, and joyfully ſhoutedſt: Behold Lars cometh!

        Quoted from Mr. Dallager the Factor’s Relation, page 46.

      • 1797, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “Christabel. Part I.”, in Christabel: Kubla Khan, a Vision: The Pains of Sleep, London: […] John Murray, […], by William Bulmer and Co. […], published 1816, →OCLC, page 15:

        Alas! what ails poor Geraldine? / Why stares she with unsettled eye? / Can she the bodiless dead espy?

      • 1844 January–December, Leigh Hunt, “English Pastoral.—(Concluded.)”, in A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 125:

        If we could open and intend our eye, / We all, like Moses, should espy, / E'en in a bush, the radiant Deity.

      • 1877, William Black, “In England”, in Green Pastures and Piccadilly. […], volume III, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 129:

        [Mr. Jewsbury] was trying to espy a squirrel he had seen run up the trunk of an elm, […]

      • 1880, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, “Diggaja’s Courage”, in Charu Chandra Mookerjee, transl., Durgesa Nandini: Or The Chieftain’s Daughter. […], Calcutta, West Bengal: H. M. Mookerjee & Co., →OCLC, page 62:

        Bimala looked at the direction in silence. Deep and hard breathings entered her ear, and she espied something near the road.

      • 1893, Horatio Alger, Jr., “The Casket of Jewels”, in Cast upon the Breakers, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, published 1974, →ISBN, page 44:

        "Ha!" said John, espying the open casket, "where did you get all that jewelry?"

      • 2011 May 1, Alice Rawsthorn, “Skull and crossbones as branding tool”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 May 2022:

        By the turn of the 18th century, when Captain [John] Cranby espied [Emanuel] Wynn's skull and crossbones, the piracy trade was flourishing and ambitious pirates were becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they operated.

   2. To see (someone or something) without foreplanning or unexpectedly.
      • 1551, Thomas More, “The Fyrste Boke of the Communycacion of Raphaell Hythlodaye Concernynge the Best State of a Commen Wealthe”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC, signatures B.ij., verso – B.iij., recto:

        […] I chaunced to eſpie thys foraſyde Peter talkynge wyth a certeyne ſtraunger a man well ſtryken in age wyth a blake sonne burned face, a longe bearde and a cloke catſe homely about hys ſhoulders, whom by hys fauour & apparrel forthwythe I iudged to be a maryner.

      • c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

        Come on my Lords the better foot before, / Straight vvill I bring you to the lothſome pit, / VVhere I eſpied the Panther faſt a ſleepe.

      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 42:27:

        And as one of them opened his ſacke, to giue his aſſe prouender in the Inne, he eſpied his money: for behold, it was in his ſackes mouth.

      • 1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “A Description of Syam”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC, page 196:

        [T]heir came tovvards me one of theſe ſeemingly deuout Abdals, in his ſheeps skin & horne about his necke and bare-footed, eſpying me, hee bleſt himſelfe and ſuddenly began to mutter his prayer to Mahomet vvith feruent ardencie, […]

   3. (obsolete)
      1. To observe (someone or something) as a spy; also, to examine or observe (someone or something) carefully; or to look out or watch for.
         • 1530 December 11 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “The Letter of Maister Latimer Written to King Henry [VIII], Answering to the foresaid Inhibition of the Byshops”, in John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], published 30 March 1563 (Gregorian calendar), →OCLC, book V, page [1415], column 2:

           Remember the subtyle worldly wyse Counsellours of Hāmon, the sonne of Naas, king of the Amonites, which when Dauid had sent hys seruauntes to comfort the yong kyng, for the death of hys father, by craftye imaginacions counselled Hāmon not alonely not to receiue them gently, but to entreate them most shamefullye and cruellye, sayinge that they came not to comforte hym, but to espye and search hys lande, so that afterward they brynging Dauid woorde howe euerye thynge stoode, Dauid myghte come and conquer it.

           Page 1346 in the print version of the work.

         • c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

           Novv queſtion me no more vve are eſpied, / Here comes a parcell of our hopefull bootie, / VVhich dreads not yet their liues deſtruction.

         • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Joshua 14:7, column 2:

           Fortie yeeres olde was I when Moſes the ſeruant of the Lord ſent me from Kadeſh Barnea, to eſpie out the land, and I brought him worde againe, as it was in mine heart.

         • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “[XXVIII Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Summer Half-year, […].] Sermon III. The Descending and Entailed Curse Cut Off.”, in ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1654, →OCLC, pages 29–30:

           VVe keep company vvith Harlots and polluted perſons: vve are kind to all Gods Enemies, and love that vvhich he hates: […] And therefore God is inquiſitive; he looks for that vvhich he fain vvould never finde; God ſets ſpies upon us; he looks upon us himſelf through the Curtains of a cloud; and he ſends Angels to eſpie us in all our vvayes, […]

      2. To become aware of (a fact, information, etc.).
         • 1640, Fra[ncis] Quarles, “[The First Century.] Chapter LXXIII.”, in Enchiridion: Containing Institutions, Divine, Contemplative, Practical. Moral, Ethical, Oeconomicall, Politicall, London: […] R. F., published 1644, →OCLC, 1st book:

           If being the Commander of an army, thou eſpieſt a groſſe and manifeſt error in thine Enemy, look vvell to thy ſelfe, for treachery is not farre off: Hee vvhom deſire of victory binds too much, is apt to ſtumble at his ovvne Ruine.

         • 1648, Joseph Beaumont, “Canto XVII. The Mortification. Stanza 201.”, in Psyche: Or Loves Mysterie, […], London: […] John Dawson for George Boddington, […], →OCLC, page 330, column 1:

           VVhat faults ſoever Thou eſpieſt here, / Fall to, and make thee merry vvith the Cheer.

         • 1670, [Edward Wetenhall], “A Form of Prayer, Made as the Other, which May be Used in Our Evening Privacy”, in Enter into Thy Closet: Or, A Method and Order for Private Devotion. […], 3rd edition, London: […] John Martyn, […], →OCLC, pages 97–98:

           O Moſt and Gracious Father, the ſearcher of all hearts; vvho ſeeſt my dovvn-lying as vvell as up riſing, darkneſs and light being both alike to thee; vvho art near unto all my vvays, and eſpyeſt my thoughts vvhile they are yet afar off, I have here ſet my ſelf before thee to pay my evening homage, […]

2. (intransitive, archaic) To observe as a spy, to spy; also, to examine or observe carefully; or to look out or watch.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 48:19, column 2:

     O inhabitant of Aroer, ſtand by the way, and eſpie; aſke him that fleeth, and her that eſcapeth, and ſay, VVhat is done?

   • 1846, [John Keble], “The Cradle Guarded”, in Lyra Innocentium: Thoughts in Verse on Christian Children, Their Ways, and Their Privileges, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Henry Parker; London: F[rancis] and J[ohn] Rivington, →OCLC, page 75:

     [H]eedful be his eye, / And firm his step, who on the dark edge [of a peak] stands / Beneath the cloud, and downward dares espy.

• espie (obsolete)

• espier
• espying (adjective, noun)
• unespied

• espial
• espionage
• spy

From Middle English aspie, espie (“covert investigation or observation, scouting, spying; information obtained through spying; secret and treacherous plan, plot; treachery; a scout or spy”) [and other forms],^[3] from Anglo-Norman espie, Old French espie, from espier (verb): see further at etymology 1.^[4]

espy (countable and uncountable, plural espies) (obsolete)

1. (countable)
   1. An act of finding out or observing by spying or looking; an espial or espying.
      • 1599, Richard Hakluyt, “After the Chapitles of Commodities of Diuers Lands, Sheweth the Conclusion of Keeping of the Sea Enuiron, by a Storie of King Edgar, and Two Incidents of King Edward the Third, and King Henrie the Fifth”, in The Principal Nauigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation, […], 2nd edition, London: […] George Bishop, Ralph Newberie, and Robert Barker, →OCLC, page 203:

        Howe the right and lawes of the land / Were execute, and who durſt take in hand / To diſobey his ſtatutes and decrees, / If they were well kept in all countrees: / Of theſe he made ſubtile inueſtigation / Of his owne eſpie, and other mens relation.

      • 1608, Edward Topsell, “Of the Winged Dragon”, in The Historie of Serpents. Or, The Second Booke of Liuing Creatures: […], London: […] William Jaggard, →OCLC, page 168:

        When as the Eagle, Ioves great bird, did ſee her enemy, / Sharpe warre in th' ayre with beake ſhe did prepare / Gainſt Serpent feeding in the wood, after eſpy / Cauſe it her egges and young fiercely in peeces tare.

   2. A scout or spy.
      • 1624, Iohn Smith, “Here Followeth a Briefe Discourse of the Trials of New England, with Certaine Obseruations of the Hollanders Use and Gaine by Fishing, and the Present Estate of that Happy Plantation, Begun but by Sixtie Weake Men, in the Yeere of Our Lord 1620. and How to Build a Fleet of Good Ships to Make a Little Nauy Royall, by the Former Author”, in The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 6; reprinted in The Generall Historie of Virginia, [...] (Bibliotheca Americana), Cleveland, Oh.: The World Publishing Company, 1966, →OCLC, page 235:

        Hobomak as confidently aſſured vs it was falſe, and ſent his vvife as an eſpy to ſee; […]

2. (uncountable) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means; espionage.

• Pyes, Spey, Yeps, pyes, spye, yeps