Meaning

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..

Definitions by Sense

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.
2. To see (someone or something) without foreplanning or unexpectedly.
3. To observe (someone or something) as a spy; also, to examine or observe (someone or something) carefully; or to look out or watch for.
4. To become aware of (a fact, information, etc.).
5. (intransitive, archaic) To observe as a spy, to spy; also, to examine or observe carefully; or to look out or watch.
6. An act of finding out or observing by spying or looking; an espial or espying.
7. A scout or spy.
8. (uncountable) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means; espionage.

Example Sentences

to espy land    to espy a man in a crowd

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.

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.

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

[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; […]

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: […]

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.

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.

Word Forms

• espies
• espying
• espied
• no-table-tags
• glossary
• espy
• espiest
• espyest
• espieth
• espyeth
• -
• espie

Synonyms for espy

Related Words

When Should You Use Espy?

Use espy when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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