spy (redirected from spying on)

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.

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[Middle English spie, from Old French espie, from espier, to watch, of Germanic origin; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]

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spy

Noun

pl spies

1. a person employed to find out secret information about other countries or organizations

2. a person who secretly keeps watch on others

Verb

[spies, spying, spied]

1. (foll. by on)to keep a secret watch on someone

2. to work as a spy

3. to catch sight of (someone or something); notice [Old French espier]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	spy - (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors undercover agent armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" counterspy, mole - a spy who works against enemy espionage double agent - a spy who works for two mutually antagonistic countries espionage agent - someone employed to spy on another country or business competitor foreign agent - a spy for a foreign country infiltrator - someone who takes up a position surreptitiously for the purpose of espionage intelligence agent, intelligence officer, operative, secret agent - a person secretly employed in espionage for a government sleeper - a spy or saboteur or terrorist planted in an enemy country who lives there as a law-abiding citizen until activated by a prearranged signal
	2.	spy - a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night" snoop, snooper - a spy who makes uninvited inquiries into the private affairs of others looker, spectator, viewer, watcher, witness - a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind); "the spectators applauded the performance"; "television viewers"; "sky watchers discovered a new star" shadower, tail, shadow - a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
Verb	1.	spy - catch sight of descry, espy, spot sight, spy - catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; "he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge"
	2.	spy - watch, observe, or inquire secretly sleuth, snoop, stag monitor, supervise - keep tabs on; keep an eye on; keep under surveillance; "we are monitoring the air quality"; "the police monitor the suspect's moves"
	3.	spy - catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; "he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge" sight perceive, comprehend - to become aware of through the senses; "I could perceive the ship coming over the horizon" descry, espy, spot, spy - catch sight of detect, discover, notice, observe, find - discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of; "She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"; "We found traces of lead in the paint"
	4.	spy - secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage; "spy for the Russians" enquire, investigate, inquire - conduct an inquiry or investigation of; "The district attorney's office investigated reports of possible irregularities"; "inquire into the disappearance of the rich old lady"

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spy

noun 1. undercover agent, secret agent, double agent, secret service agent, foreign agent, mole, fifth columnist, nark Brit., Austral., N.Z. (slang)

verb 2. be a spy, snoop (informal) gather intelligence

verb 3. (usually followed by on) watch, follow, shadow, tail (informal) trail, keep watch on, keep under surveillance

verb 4. catch sight of, see, spot, notice, sight, observe, glimpse, behold (archaic), (literary) set eyes on, espy, descry

Translations

spy [spaɪ] n → espía m/f

vi to spy on → espiar a vt (= see) → divisar, lograr ver

cpd [film, story] → de espionaje

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spy [spaɪ] n → espion(ne)

vi to spy on → espionner, épier vt (= see) → apercevoir

cpd [film, story] → d'espionnage

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spy [spaɪ] n → Spion(in) m(f)

vi to spy on → nachspionieren +dat vt → sehen

cpd (film, story) → Spionage-

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spy [spaɪ] n → spia

cpd [film, story] → di spionaggio

vi to spy on → spiare vt (= see) → scorgere

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spy

n spy [spai]

a secret agent or person employed to gather information secretly especially about the military affairs of other countries She was arrested as a spy; industrial spies. spioen جاسوس шпионин špión, -ka spion; -spion der/die Spion(in) κατάσκοπος agente secreto spioon جاسوس vakoilija espion/-onne מְרַגֵל जासूस špijun, uhoda kém agen rahasia, mata-mata njósnari spia, spione スパイ 탐정, 밀정 šnipas spiegs perisik spion spion szpieg espião spion шпион špión, -ka vohun špijun spion นักสืบ casus 間諜 шпигун; таємний агент جاسوس điệp viên 间谍

v

1 to be a spy He had been spying for the Russians for many years. spioeneer يَتَجَسَّس следя provádět špionáž spionere spionieren κατασκοπεύω spioneerima جاسوسي كردن vakoilla espionner לְרַגֵל जासूसी करना špijunirati, uhoditi kémkedik menjadi agen rahasia, mata-mata njósna spiare スパイ活動をする 스파이 노릇을 하다 šnipinėti spiegot merisik spioneren spionere szpiegować espiar a spiona шпионить robiť špionáž vohuniti špijunirati spionera สืบ casusluk yapmak 作間諜 шпигувати جاسوسی کرنا làm điệp viên 作间谍

2 to see or notice She spied a human figure on the mountainside. sien يُلاحِظ съзирам spatřit få øje på erspähen διακρίνω tähele panema ديدن huomata apercevoir לְהַבחִין पता लगाना ugledati, spaziti megpillant melihat koma auga á scorgere, vedere 見つける 언뜻 발견하다 pastebėti ievērot; saskatīt nampak ontwaren få øye på, oppdage dostrzec avistar a observa разглядеть zbadať opaziti uočiti få syn på, observera สังเกต farketmek, gözüne ilişmek 發現 помітити دیکھنا یا ملاحظہ کرنا xem xét kĩ lưỡng 发现

n spyhole

a peep-hole. loergat ثَقْب التَّجَسُّس шпионка špehýrka kighul das Guckloch ματάκι πόρτας piilumisava tirkistysreikä petit trou עֵינִית गवाक्ष, झरोखा okance, špijunka (na vratima) kémlelőlyuk lubang pengintipan gægjugat spia, spioncino のぞき穴 들여다보는 구멍 akutė, skylutė (durvju) actiņa lubang intai kijkgat kikkhull wizjer postigo ferestruică de observaţie глазок priezor linica špijunka titthål ช่องสอดแนม dikiz deliği 窺視孔 оглядовий отвір, вічко موکھا، سوراخ khe nhòm 窥视孔

spy on

to watch (a person etc) secretly The police had been spying on the gang for several months. dophou يُراقِب шпионирам sledovat udspionere; holde øje med nachspionieren παρακολουθώ κρυφά κπ. (salaja) jälgima مخفيانه نگاه كردن urkkia épier לְרַגֵל नजर रखना uhoditi koga kémkedik vki után memata-matai njósna um, fylgjast (náið) með spiare 見張る 미행하다 sekti izsekot (kādam) memerhatikan bespioneren spionere på, utspionere szpiegować vigiar a spiona (pe cineva) следить sledovať skrivaj opazovati špijunirati spionera på เฝ้าดูอย่างลับ ๆ gizlice gözetlemek 暗中監視 стежити таємно за کسی کو چپکے چپکے دیکھنا dò xét 暗中监视