Adjacent Words

Espy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ESPY',v.t. [L. specio.]
1. To see at a distance; to have the first sight of a thing remove. Seamen espy land as they approach it.
2. To see or discover something intended to be hid, or in a degree concealed and not very visible; as, to espy a man in a crowd, or a thief in a wood.
3. To discover unexpectedly.
As one of them opened his sack, he espied his money. Genesis 42.
4. To inspect narrowly; to examine and make discoveries.
Moses sent me to espy out the land, and I brought him word again. Josh 14.
ESPY', v.i. To look narrowly; to look about; to watch.
Stand by the way and espy. Jeremiah 48.
[This word is often pronounced spy, which see.]
ESPY', n. A spy; a scout.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: catch sight of [syn: descry, spot, espy, spy]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (espied; espying) Etymology: Middle English espien, from Anglo-French espier — more at spy Date: 14th century to catch sight of <among the several horses…she espied the white mustang — Zane Grey>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (-ies, -ied) literary catch sight of; perceive. Etymology: ME f. OF espier: see SPY

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Espy Es*py", v. i. To look or search narrowly; to look about; to watch; to take notice; to spy. Stand by the way, and espy. --Jer. xlviii. 19.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Espy Es*py", n.; pl. Espies. [OF. espie. See Espy, v., Spy.] A spy; a scout. [Obs.] --Huloet.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Espy Es*py", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Espied; p. pr. & vb. n. Espying.] [OF. espier, F. ['e]pier, from OHG. speh?n to watch, spy, G. sp["a]hen; akin to L. specere to look, species sight, shape, appearance, kind. See Spice, Spy, and cf. Espionage.] 1. To catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; to discover, as a distant object partly concealed, or not obvious to notice; to see at a glance; to discern unexpectedly; to spy; as, to espy land; to espy a man in a crowd. As one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, . . . he espied his money. --Gen. xlii. 27. A goodly vessel did I then espy Come like a giant from a haven broad. --Wordsworth. 2. To inspect narrowly; to examine and keep watch upon; to watch; to observe. He sends angels to espy us in all our ways. --Jer. Taylor. Syn: To discern; discover; detect; descry; spy.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(espies, espying, espied) If you espy something, you see or notice it. (OLD-FASHIONED) Here, from a window, did Guinevere espy a knight standing in a woodman's cart. VERB: V n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

es-pi':

"Espy" in modern English means "to catch sight of," rather than "to explore secretly." the Revised Version (British and American) therefore retains it in Ge 42:27, "He espied his money" (Hebrew ra'ah, "see"), while in Jos 14:7 "espy out the land" (the King James Version) becomes "spy out the land." the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "watch" for "espy" in Jer 48:19, and "searched out" for "espied" in Eze 20:6, with a gain in accuracy of rendering

(compare the context).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Discern, descry, perceive, spy, discover, catch a glimpse of, catch sight of. II. v. n. Watch, observe, spy, look narrowly, look about, take notice.

Moby Thesaurus

behold, catch, catch sight of, clap eyes on, descry, detect, discern, discover, distinguish, encounter, glimpse, have in sight, hit, identify, ken, lay eyes on, look on, look upon, make out, mark, meet with, note, notice, observe, perceive, pick out, pick up, recognize, remark, see, sense, sight, spot, spy, take in, twig, view, witness