spy

• vt. 侦察；发现；暗中监视
• vi. 侦察；当间谍
• n. 间谍；密探

来自古法语 espiier,观察，仔细看，偷看，来自 Proto-Germanic*spehona,注视，观察，来自 PIE*spek,看，观看，词源同 spectate,telescope.引申词义间谍，密探。

1. (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors

2. a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people;

"my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"

spy

spy: [13] A spy is etymologically someone who ‘looks’. The word was adapted from Old French espie ‘watcher, spy’, a derivative of espier ‘watch, spy’ (from which English gets the verb spy, and also espy [14] and espionage [18]). This in turn was formed from the borrowed Germanic base *spekh- (source of German spähen ‘reconnoitre, watch’ and Swedish speja ‘spy, scout’), which went back ultimately to Indo- European *spek- ‘look’ (source of English inspect, spectator, etc).
=> espionage, expect, inspect, special, spectator

spy (v.)

mid-13c., "to watch stealthily," from Old French espiier "observe, watch closely, spy on, find out," probably from Frankish *spehon or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *spehon- (cognates: Old High German *spehon "to look out for, scout, spy," German spähen "to spy," Middle Dutch spien), the Germanic survivals of the productive PIE root *spek- "to look, observe" (see scope (n.1)). Old English had spyrian "make a track, go, pursue; ask about, investigate," also a noun spyrigend "investigator, inquirer." Italian spiare, Spanish espiar also are Germanic loan-words. Meaning "to catch sight of" is from c. 1300. Children's game I spy so called by 1946.

spy (n.)

mid-13c., "one who spies on another," from Old French espie "spy, look-out, scout" (Modern French épie), probably from a Germanic source related to spy (v.).

He was denounced as a foreign spy.

有人告发他是外国间谍。

牛津词典

a police spy

警方密探

牛津词典

a spy plane/satellite (= used to watch the activities of the enemy)

间谍飞机 / 卫星

牛津词典

Video spy cameras are being used in public places.

隐蔽的摄像机在监视着公共场所。

牛津词典

He spied for his government for more than ten years.

他做过十多年的政府间谍。

牛津词典

In the distance we spied the Pacific for the first time.

在远处，我们突然第一次看到了太平洋。

牛津词典

Have you been spying on me?

你是不是一直在暗中监视我？

牛津词典

He was jailed for five years as an alleged British spy...

他被指控为英国间谍，入狱关押了 5 年。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The spy ring passed secrets to the enemy.

该间谍团伙向敌方传送秘密情报。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The agent spied for East Germany for more than twenty years...

该特工人员为东德做了 20 多年的间谍。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

East and West are still spying on one another...

东西方仍在互相进行间谍活动。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

That day he spied on her while pretending to work on the shrubs...

那天，他假装在修剪灌木，秘密对她进行监视。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He had his wife spied on for evidence in a divorce case.

他请人秘密监视自己的妻子，为离婚案搜集证据。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He was walking down the street when he spied an old friend.

他正沿街走着，突然看见了一位老朋友。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

You've probably been sent here to spy out my latest designs.

你可能是被派来探听我的最新设计的.

辞典例句

Finally, this article demonstrates the connection between spy lure and circumventive abetment.

此外, 本文也论及侦查诱惑及其与陷害教唆的关系.

期刊摘选

He admitted that they maintained a spy system.

他承认他们有一个间谍系统.

期刊摘选

He was sent to spy on the enemy's movements.

他被派去侦察敌人的行动.

辞典例句

A spy used cunning means to find out secrets.

间谍使用狡猾的手段获取机密.

《简明英汉词典》

When they discovered he was a spy, he became a marked man.

一旦他们识破他的间谍身分, 他的处境就变得十分危险.

《简明英汉词典》

I'm sure my neighbours spy on me.

我肯定邻居暗中监视我.

《简明英汉词典》

The spy was caught alive though he died from wounds the next day.

特务被活捉,不过第二天便因重伤而死.

《现代英汉综合大词典》

The spy never told his family about his underground activities.

那个间谍从来不把他的地下活动告诉他的家人.

《简明英汉词典》

The spy was caught in the act.

那间谍当场被抓获.

《简明英汉词典》

The spy attempted to escape to a neighbouring country.

那个间谍企图出逃到邻国去.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

He is a spy beyond all doubt.

毫无疑义,他是个间谍.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

The man was accused of being a spy in the pay of the enemy.

那人被指控是个敌人雇用的间谍.

《简明英汉词典》

The man was accused of being a spy.

那人被指控是个间谍.

《简明英汉词典》