Espy vs Spy - What's the difference?
espy | spy |
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.
To inspect narrowly; to examine and keep watch upon; to watch; to observe.
* Jeremy Taylor
To look or search narrowly; to look about; to watch; to take notice; to spy.
* Bible, Jer. xlviii. 19
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= To act as a spy.
To spot; to catch sight of.
* Jonathan Swift
* Latimer
To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
* Shakespeare
To explore; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
* Bible, Numbers xxi. 32
barf (US), vomit, spew
to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative )
In transitive terms the difference between espy and spy
is that espy is to inspect narrowly; to examine and keep watch upon; to watch; to observe while spy is to explore; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.In intransitive terms the difference between espy and spy
is that espy is to look or search narrowly; to look about; to watch; to take notice; to spy while spy is to search narrowly; to scrutinize.As a noun 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).espy
English
Verb
- He sends angels to espy us in all our ways.
- Stand by the way, and espy .
Anagrams
* * *spy
English
Noun
(spies)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 ringVerb
- During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.
- I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.
- One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
- Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
- It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.
- Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.