HOW TO PRONOUNCE
spy
/spaɪ/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does spy mean?
noun
- A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
- A defensive player assigned to cover an offensive backfield player man-to-man when they are expected to engage in a running play, but the offensive player does not run with the ball immediately.
verb
- To act as a spy.
More meanings (3)
verb
- To spot; to catch sight of; to espy.
- To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
- To explore; to see; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/spaɪ/
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The spy would have been no spy if he had failed to see it, or to record it in his mind.
I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent.
More book examples (3)
He had behaved infamously—he had asked an honest man, a man who had served him faithfully for years, to turn spy!
The lads were eager to spy out the church of Bestwood, far away among the rather crowded country on the left.
The enemy’s spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed.