English noun: spy | |||
1. | spy (person) (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors | ||
Synonyms | undercover agent | ||
Broader (hypernym) | intelligence agent, intelligence officer, operative, secret agent | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | counterspy, double agent, espionage agent, foreign agent, infiltrator, mole, sleeper | ||
Instance hyponym | Margarete Gertrud Zelle, Mata Hari | ||
Domain category | armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine | ||
2. | spy (person) a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people | ||
Samples | My spies tell me that you had a good time last night. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | looker, spectator, viewer, watcher, witness | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | shadow, shadower, snoop, snooper, tail | ||
English verb: spy | |||
1. | spy (perception) catch sight of | ||
Synonyms | descry, espy, spot | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | sight, spy | ||
2. | spy (communication) watch, observe, or inquire secretly | ||
Synonyms | sleuth, snoop, stag | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | monitor, supervise | ||
Entail | enquire, inquire, investigate | ||
3. | spy (perception) catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes | ||
Samples | He caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge. | ||
Synonyms | sight | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | comprehend, perceive | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | descry, detect, discover, espy, find, notice, observe, spot, spy | ||
4. | spy (communication) secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage | ||
Samples | Spy for the Russians. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | enquire, inquire, investigate | ||