Forms: 3–4 spien, 4–7 spie (4, 6 spi); 4–6 spye (4 speiȝe, 5 spyȝe, spyyn), 4– spy. Also 5 pa. pple. spyne. [ad. OF. espier ESPY v. Cf. MDu. spien (Du. spieden), MLG. spêen, MSw. speia, speya (Sw. speja), ON. speja, spæja.]
I. trans. 1. To watch (a person, etc.) in a secret or stealthy manner; to keep under observation with hostile intent; to act as a spy upon (one).
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2172. Cume ȝe for non oðer ðing, but for to spien ur lord ðe king.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 40. Eilred ȝede þorgh his lond, priuely to spie Euerilkon þe Danes.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul), 22. In Ierusalem he wes bofte, spyit, waitit, and bundyn ofte.
a. 1400. Sqr. lowe Degre, 641. The steward was ordeyned to spy And for to take them utterly.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 164. Men may … barate thair inymyes…, or ȝit ger spy thame, and se quhen thay ar in disaray.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, clix. 612. The same tyme there was on the mountayne .vi. theues who laye to spye the marchauntes.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 111. Sir Francis Staffords Lieutenant of his horse, sent by Sir Henri Daners to spy the rebels proceedings.
1870. Pall Mall Gaz., 22 Oct., 12. Since the commencement of the Empire one half of France spied the other half.
1884. trans. Gaboriau’s Little Old Man, i. Indignantly declaring that he was not in the habit of ‘spying’ the tenants of the house.
b. To make stealthy observations in (a country or place) from hostile motives. Also with out.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4824. Þan said ioseph,… ‘Bot er yee comen þe land to spi?’
13[?]. Coer de L., 718. With velanye Ye be come my londe to spye, And sum treson me for to don!
1457. Harding, Chron., in Eng. Hist. Rev., Oct. (1912), 751. [He] gafe me in commaundement Scotlonde to spye … How that it myght bene hostayed and distroyed.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 490. The toune he spyit, and that forthocht we sone.
1535. Coverdale, Numb. xiii. 16. The men, whom Moses sent forth to spye out the lande. Ibid., 21. They went vp, & spyed the lande.
1626. Gouge, Serm. Dignity Chivalry, § 3. Those choice men which were … sent to spie the Land of Canaan.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxii. 77. He sente two small Barques … to spy the Port, and sound the depth of the river.
c. To (seek to) discover or ascertain by stealthy observation. Usu. with dependent clause.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 83. Roberd about did spie, if Malcolme wild haf wrouht.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 114. Thai gert spy That mony of schir Eduardis men war scalit in the cuntre then.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 778. For wel he spyed whan sche wolde go Out of hir hous to eny maner place.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 122. Spyes now specialy if þe ȝatis be sperid.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. ix. 110. Luke that thou spy, both far and nere,… If thou here any saghes sere … Of that lad.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VI. 467. Spyand full fast, quhar his awaill suld be.
1611. Bible, 2 Kings vi. 13. Goe and spie where he is, that I may send and fetch him.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, III. xix. Thornton … said he would go alone, to spy whether we might return.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 569. Some low fever ranging round to spy The weakness of a people or a house.
2. To look out for, to seek an opportunity for, in a close or stealthy manner. Now rare.
13[?]. K. Alis., 6998 (Laud MS.). Queed & harme he wil me spye.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1774. Þe prowde prynce of perce … with ledes of armes, Þat now has spyed a space to spovle Caldeez.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xii. 15. In his herte he spieth, that he turn thee vp so doun in to the dich.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5085. In speche may men spie the speker to know, And wete, by his words, the wit þat he beires.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 19715. Niȝte or day whenne þei myȝt spie Bi murþerment to do him diȝe.
1859. Meredith, Juggling Jerry, i. One that outjuggles all ’s been spying Long to have me, and he has me now.
3. To look at, examine, or observe closely or carefully; to see or behold; in mod. use spec., to investigate with a spy-glass or telescope.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 13. His sawel gern spied he [sc. Satan], Yef he moht se or find thar inne Any filth or spotte of sinne.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 225. Spiceres spoke with hym, to spien here ware.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 1730. I haue the spyed, sythe þou oute ȝede: Thou arte my lemman, as I haue thoght.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 70. I suld at fairis be found, new faceis to spy.
1549. Compl. Scot., Prol. 11. Quhen he hed contemplit & spyit the proportions & proproteis of nature.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 5. And all the hinder partes, that few could spie, Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr., 35. Thy rival staggers; come and spy her Deep in the mud as thou art in the mire.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. 52. Great Pan in cheerful mood stands by, Rejoiced the wondrous things to spy.
1893. Earl Dunmore, Pamirs, II. 78. I spied the whole ground, and never saw a beast.
4. To catch sight of; to descry or discover; to notice or observe. Cf. ESPY v. 2.
13[?]. K. Alis., 2183 (Laud MS.). A jolyf kyng ycleped barrys Spyeþ Alisaundres prys.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIX. 528. The lord Dowglas has spyit a vay, How that he mycht about thame ryd.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1295. It miȝte hermye ȝow alle in cas if my fader miȝt it spie.
1404–8. 26 Pol. Poems, 29. [Let] No fende spot vppon þe spyȝe.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 60. The theef … gothe and comithe till he be spied, and thanne is take.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 823, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 251. Themperoure … bade hys seruaunte throwe hym a bone. So he dyd, and whan Robert yt had spyne [etc.].
1575. Gamm. Gurton, II. iv. Good lord shall never be my luck my nee’le again to spy?
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 7. A shadie grove not farr away they spide.
1626. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. III. 216. In my passage, spying a doore guarded by one,… I went, and … found an easie entrance.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 166. When they spie that Fish, they strike him on the back with Harping-Irons.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. 80. Looking out to Sea in hopes of seeing a Ship, then fancy at a vast Distance I spy’d a Sail.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 138. By dilating the pupil, the animal … is enabled to spy its prey … in the dark.
1849. Sk. Nat. Hist., Mammalia, III. 13. There is great danger if the hippopotamus spies the huntsman before he can throw his spear.
1885–94. R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, May xxv. It must end our love If they should hear or spy thee from above.
transf. a. 1704. T. Brown, Dk. Ormond’s Recovery, Wks. 1730, I. 51. His mind enlarg’d, and boundless as the sky, Shall unknown worlds and heaven’s recesses spy.
b. With immaterial object.
c. 1315. Shoreham, I. 1851. Ȝyf het one weddeþ þe þral,… And ȝyf a spyet þat soþe þrof [etc.].
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3013. Our kyng … Passed thurgh many cuntre, Aventures to spir and spy.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 271. Thought I dispytit thaim agane, thai spyit it na thing.
1549. E. Allen, Paraphr. Rev., 4. Whan they spye any thing amysse in them selves.
1598. Drayton, Heroical Ep. (1619), xxii. Feare seeing all, feares it of all is spy’d.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 1005. The latter … kickt the beam; Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the Fiend.
1734. Watts, Reliq. Juv. (1789), 95. Does nature find so much convenience, or spy so much decency in it?
1780. Cowper, Lett., 8 June. If you spy any fault in my Latin, tell me, for I am sometimes in doubt.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xix. Her kindness and her worth to spy, You need but gaze on Ellen’s eye. Ibid. (1813), Trierm., Introd. v. Too oft my anxious eye has spied That secret grief thou fain wouldst hide.
c. With clause as object.
c. 1325. Song of Yesterday, in E. E. P. (1862), 137. Whon þat he wol þe assayle, Þat wost þou not, ne neuer may spye.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3399. Ac spacly þe spaynoles speiȝed he was slayne.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 490. Now I haue spied þat frendes haue I none.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxxv. 181. Besyde a ryver and a craggy roche This gyaunt was whyche spyed me approche.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 60. Let Christmas spie yard cleane to lie.
1590. Lodge, Euphues Gold. Leg., I 2 b. Aliena … spied where the hare was by the hounds, and could see day at a little hole.
1628. Milton, Vac. Exerc., 61. Thy drowsie Nurse hath sworn she did them spie Come tripping to the Room.
1859. Tennyson, Guinevere, 31. For Sir Launcelot passing by Spied where he couch’d.
5. To find out, to search or seek out, by observation or scrutiny.
1530. Tindale, Prol. Romans, ¶ 2. No man could spy out the intent, and meanyng of it.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lv. 188. As Huon foughte he spyed out the paynym that had gyuen him his swerde.
1584. Powel, Lloyd’s Cambria, 151. The Normans began to spie out the Commodities of Wales.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 1. The senses … are (as it were) our Sentinels and Watch-men, to spie out all dangers.
1650. Hubbert, Pill Formality, 69. They might spie out the Saints liberty.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 72. He can spy out the Faults in the Structure of a Boat, sooner than those of himself.
1782. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, 28 Oct. Lady Shelley, who spied us out, sent us an invitation to her party.
1848. Thackeray, Lett., 28 July. I felt ashamed of myself for spying out their follies.
1893. Mrs. F. Elliot, Diary Constantinople, vi. One little black-eyed child … spied me out as I left the carriage.
II. intr. 6. To make observations (now spec. with a spy-glass); to keep watch; to be on the look out.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27372. Þe preist bi-gin þan his franyng, Sua o ferrum for to spi Til he find quar þe roting ly.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 780. Þere in longyng al nyȝt he lengez in wones, Whyl þe souerayn to Sodamas sende to spye.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xiii. (Mark), 137. And sa eftyre spyit þai, þat þai fand hyme one pasck-day.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 2563. So long he spied day and night Til he hapened to haue a sight.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 427. That I may spy, vnaspyit, a space me beside.
1530. Palsgr., 728/2. I spye for one, I lye awayte for him, je aguette.
a. 1631. Donne, Songs & Sonnets, Break of day, ii. If it [sc. light] could speake as well as spie, This were the worst that it could say.
1883. E. Lennox Peel, in Longm. Mag., Nov., 73. After a very cursory glance round with my own glass, I shut it up and began talking as Charlie spied.
b. Const. at (a thing).
1806. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, V. ix. While there was nothing in the house worth spying at.
1826. Hood, Mermaid of Margate, ii. On Margate beach,… Where urchins wander to pick up shells, And the Cit to spy at the ships.
7. To make stealthy or covert observations; to play the spy; to pry.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 238. [They may] travaill in were and pes … sa that thare be na coverit malice under, as to spy.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1086. Revealing day through every cranny spies. Ibid. (1604), Oth., III. iii. 147. As I confesse it is my Natures plague To spy into Abuses.
1611. Cotgr., Mouscher, to spy, pry, sneake into corners, thrust his nose into euery thing.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Sad Sheph., I. ii. But spy your worst, good spy, I will dispose of this where least you like!
b. Const. on or upon (a person, etc.).
1626. Donne, Lett. (1651), 314. But this evening I will spie upon the B[ishop].
a. 1774. Goldsm., Hist. Greece, II. 102. I am come to spy upon your vanity and ambition.
1883. G. J. Cayley, Las Alforjas, II. 141. What do you mean, sir, by spying upon my movements?
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xiv. It is no such pleasure to be Emperor with you to spy on me.
