espy

UK: /ɪˈspaɪ/ US: /ɪˈspaɪ/ ,(i spī′)

Inflections of 'espy' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

espies

v 3rd person singular

espying

v pres p

espied

v past

espied

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

es•py /ɪˈspaɪ/   v. [~ + object] , -pied, -py•ing. 

1. to see at a distance;
   catch sight of.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

es•py  (i spī′), v.t., -pied, -py•ing. 

1. to see at a distance;
   catch sight of.

• Old French espier Gmc; compare German spähen to spy
• Middle English espyen 1175–1225

Synonyms

discern, descry, discover, perceive, make out.

Es•py  (es′pē), n. 

James Pol•lard  (pol′ərd), 1785–1860, U.S. meteorologist.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

espy / ɪˈspaɪ/ verb ( -pies, -pying, -pied)

1. (transitive) to catch sight of or perceive (something distant or previously unnoticed); detect

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French espier to spy, of Germanic origin

esˈpier noun