espy

Mane (English)

Verb

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. (obsolete) 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. (obsolete) To become aware of (a fact, information, etc.).
5. To observe as a spy, to spy; also, to examine or observe carefully; or to look out or watch.

Noun

1. (obsolete) An act of finding out or observing by spying or looking; an espial or espying.
2. (obsolete) A scout or spy.
3. (obsolete) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means; espionage.

Synonyms

notice

descry

see

👀

perceive

observe

behold

discern

remark

detect

spot

spy

catch sight of

discover

sight

look at

note

glimpse

view

watch

⌚

agnize

spy out

take notice

perceive clearly

find

🔍

find out

listen

make out

mind

realise

recognise

register

catch side of

sense

tell

Wekî (IPA) tê bilêvkirin

/ɪˈspaɪ/

Etîmolojî (English)

Inherited from Middle English: aspien

Cognate with fransî: épier

Cognate with Ancient Greek: σκέπτομαι

Cognate with îtalî: spiare

Cognate with latînî: speciō

Cognate with Old High German: spehōn

Cognate with almanî: spähen

Cognate with oksîtanî: espiar

Cognate with spanî: espiar

In summary

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], 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”). Doublet of spy.
cognates
* Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai, “to examine; to look at; to consider, think”)
* Italian spiare
* Latin speciō (“to look at, observe, watch”)
* Old High German spehōn (modern German spähen)
* Occitan espiar
* Spanish espiar