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spying

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
spy  (sp)
n. pl. spies (spz)
1. An agent employed by a state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies.
2. One employed by a company to obtain confidential information about its competitors.
3. One who secretly keeps watch on another or others.
4. An act of spying.
v. spied (spd), spy·ing, spies (spz)
v.tr.
1. To observe secretly with hostile intent.
2. To discover by close observation.
3. To catch sight of: spied the ship on the horizon.
4. To investigate intensively.
v.intr.
1. To engage in espionage.
2. To seek or observe something secretly and closely.
3. To make a careful investigation: spying into other people's activities.

[Middle English spie, from Old French espie, from espier, to watch, of Germanic origin; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.spyingspying - keeping a secret or furtive watch    
vigil, watch - a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
2.spyingspying - the act of keeping a secret watch for intelligence purposes
espionage - the systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets
intelligence activity, intelligence operation, intelligence - the operation of gathering information about an enemy
3.spying - the act of detecting something; catching sight of something
discovery, find, uncovering - the act of discovering something

spying
noun espionage, reconnaissance, infiltration, undercover work a ten-year sentence for spying
Translations
spying [ˈspaɪɪŋ] Nespionaje m

spying [ˈspaɪɪŋ] nespionnage m
spying charge naccusation f d'espionnage

spying [ˈspaɪɪŋ] nspionaggio
spying [ˈspaɪɪŋ] nspionaggio

spying تجسس špionáž spionage Spionieren κατασκοπεία espionaje vakoilu espionnage špijuniranje spionaggio スパイ行為 정탐하기 spioneren spionasje szpiegostwo espionagem шпионаж spionage การสอดแนม casusluk sự bí mật theo dõi 密探


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy.
"I don't believe that," said Rosa, smiling; "if that worthy person is spying after any one, it is certainly not after my father.
His work included the adjudgment of the arms of Achilles to Odysseus, the madness of Aias, the bringing of Philoctetes from Lemnos and his cure, the coming to the war of Neoptolemus who slays Eurypylus, son of Telephus, the making of the wooden horse, the spying of Odysseus and his theft, along with Diomedes, of the Palladium: the analysis concludes with the admission of the wooden horse into Troy by the Trojans.
 
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