Definitions
01secret agent
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who secretly collects information about an enemy, a government, or a business.
n. an individual employed by a government or organisation to collect secret information regarding a competitor or enemy.
“The spy was caught trying to steal secret documents from the embassy.”
“Intelligence agencies often spend years cultivating a single spy within a foreign government to ensure a steady flow of high-level information.”
02to watch secretly
B1 · Intermediate
v. to watch someone or something secretly to find out information.
v. to observe a person, group, or country secretly and continuously. Often takes the preposition 'on'.
“The children liked to spy on their older brother from the treehouse.”
“The corporation was accused of hiring private investigators to spy on its competitors' research and development facilities.”
Usage
Commonly used with the preposition 'on' followed by the target.
03to catch sight of
C1 · Advanced Literary
v. to suddenly see or notice something, especially something far away or hidden.
v. to catch sight of or detect something through careful observation. Transitive in this sense.
Español:avistar
“From the top of the hill, she managed to spy a small cottage in the valley.”
“After hours of scanning the horizon with his binoculars, the lookout finally spied a thin plume of smoke rising from the distant island.”
04football defender
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Sports American English · Technical
n. a player in American football whose job is to watch and follow a specific opponent.
n. a defensive player assigned to mirror the movements of a specific offensive player, typically the quarterback, to prevent a run.
“The coach decided to use a linebacker as a spy to stop the quarterback from running.”
“By employing a fast linebacker as a spy, the defense successfully neutralised the quarterback's ability to scramble for first downs.”
Usage
Used as a countable noun in a sports strategy context.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “spy” in context.
Verb
01. recruit a spy
“They managed to recruit a spy who had access to the enemy's encrypted communications.”
verb + noun
02. spy on a neighbor
“He was arrested for using a drone to spy on a neighbor through their bedroom window.”
verb + prep + noun
03. unmask a spy
“The intelligence agency worked for months to unmask a spy operating within the ministry.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. alleged spy
“The alleged spy was detained at the border while carrying sensitive documents.”
adj + noun
05. convicted spy
“A convicted spy was exchanged for two political prisoners in a high-profile swap.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. spy ring
“Police successfully dismantled an international spy ring that was stealing industrial secrets.”
noun + noun
07. spy satellite
“The government launched a new spy satellite to monitor military movements in the region.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“After 9/11, he said, those powers to spy on communities were greatly expanded.” “The FBI discovered former congressman Eric Swalwell’s affair with Chinese spy Fang Fang when the bureau tried to recruit her as an agent, documents say.” Etymology
From Middle English spien, aphetic variant of earlier espien (“to espy”), from Old French espier (“to spy”), from Frankish spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic spehōną (“to see, look”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”). Akin to German spähen (“to spy”), Dutch spieden (“to spy”). The noun displaced native Old English sċēawere (literally “watcher”), which was also the word for "mirror." In this sense, the verb displaced Old English sċēawian, which was also the word for "to watch" and became the Modern English word show. Distant cognate vie PIE with Latin speculātor, Ancient Greek κατάσκοπος (katáskopos). Compare typologically Russian согляда́тай (sogljadátaj) (akin to гляде́ть (gljadétʹ)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/spy
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0