espy

[ ih-spahy ]

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verb (used with object),es·pied, es·py·ing.

to see at a distance; catch sight of.

Origin of espy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English espien, espyen, from Old French espier, ultimately from Germanic; compare German spähen “to look out”; see also skeptic, speculate

Other words for espy

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Other words from espy

un·es·pied, adjective

Other definitions for Espy (2 of 2)

Espy

[ es-pee ]

noun

James Pol·lard [pol-erd], /ˈpɒl ərd/, 1785–1860, U.S. meteorologist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for espy

espy

/ (ɪˈspaɪ) /

verb-pies, -pying or -pied

(tr) to catch sight of or perceive (something distant or previously unnoticed); detect: to espy a ship on the horizon

Origin of espy

C14: from Old French espier to spy, of Germanic origin

Derived forms of espy

espier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Espy

Espy

[ ĕs′pē ]

American meteorologist who is credited with the first correct explanation of the role heat plays in cloud formation and growth. His use of the telegraph in relaying meteorological observations and tracking storms laid the foundation for modern weather forecasting.

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