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Intelligence vs Spy - What's the difference?

intelligence | spy |

As nouns the difference between intelligence and spy

is that intelligence is capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to learn and comprehend while spy is a person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).

As a verb spy is

to act as a spy.

intelligence

Noun

  • (uncountable) Capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to learn and comprehend.
  • * 1912 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 5
  • Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author= Ian Sample
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=34, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains , passage=Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.  ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.}}
  • (countable) An entity that has such capacities.
  • * Tennyson
  • The great Intelligences fair / That range above our mortal state, / In circle round the blessed gate, / Received and gave him welcome there.
  • (uncountable) Information]], usually secret, about the enemy or about hostile [[activity, activities.
  • (countable) A political or military department, agency or unit designed to gather information, usually secret, about the enemy or about hostile activities.
  • (dated) Acquaintance; intercourse; familiarity.
  • * Clarendon
  • He lived rather in a fair intelligence than any friendship with the favourites.

    Synonyms

    * (capacity of mind) wit, intellect, brightness * (entity) see * See also

    Derived terms

    * artificial intelligence * machine intelligence * CIA * IQ * * * SIS

    spy

    English

    Noun

    (spies)
  • A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Travels and travails , passage=Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.}}

    Derived terms

    * spy ring

    Verb

  • To act as a spy.
  • During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.
  • To spot; to catch sight of.
  • I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
  • * Latimer
  • Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
  • To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
  • * Shakespeare
  • It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.
  • To explore; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
  • * Bible, Numbers xxi. 32
  • Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.

    Derived terms

    * spy on

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * ---- ==Norwegian Bokmål==

    Noun

  • barf (US), vomit, spew
  • Verb

  • to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative )
  • Synonyms

    * (l)

    References

    * ----