espy

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: es=py

CIDE DICTIONARY

espy, v. t. [OF. espier, F. épier, from OHG. spehn to watch, spy, G. spähen; akin to L. specere to look, species sight, shape, appearance, kind. See Spice, Spy, and cf. Espionage.].

•  To catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; to discover, as a distant object partly concealed, or not obvious to notice; to see at a glance; to discern unexpectedly; to spy; as, to espy land; to espy a man in a crowd.  [1913 Webster]

  "As one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, . . . he espied his money."  [1913 Webster]

  "A goodly vessel did I then espy
  Come like a giant from a haven broad."  [1913 Webster]
•  To inspect narrowly; to examine and keep watch upon; to watch; to observe.  [1913 Webster]

  "He sends angels to espy us in all our ways."

Syn. -- To discern; discover; detect; descry; spy.

espy, v. i. 

 To look or search narrowly; to look about; to watch; to take notice; to spy.  [1913 Webster]
"Stand by the way, and espy."  [1913 Webster]

espy, n. [OF. espie. See Espy, v., Spy.].

 A spy; a scout.  Huloet.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

espy, v.tr. (-ies, -ied) literary catch sight of; perceive.

Etymology

ME f. OF espier: see SPY

THESAURUS

espy

behold, catch, catch sight of, clap eyes on, descry, detect, discern, discover, distinguish, encounter, glimpse, have in sight, hit, identify, ken, lay eyes on, look on, look upon, make out, mark, meet with, note, notice, observe, perceive, pick out, pick up, recognize, remark, see, sense, sight, spot, spy, take in, twig, view, witness

ROGET THESAURUS

espy

Vision

VB see, behold, discern, perceive, have in sight, descry, sight, make out, discover, distinguish, recognize, spy, espy, ken, get a sight of, have a sight of, catch a sight of, get a glimpse of, have a glimpse of, catch a glimpse of, command a view of, witness, contemplate, speculate, cast the eyes on, set the eyes on, be a spectator of, look on, see sights, see at a glance, look, view, eye, lift up the eyes, open one's eye, look at, look on, look upon, look over, look about one, look round, survey, scan, inspect, run the eye over, run the eye through, reconnoiter, glance round, glance on, glance over turn one's looks upon, bend one's looks upon, direct the eyes to, turn the eyes on, cast a glance, observe, watch, see with one's own eyes, watch for, peep, peer, pry, take a peep, play at bopeep, look full in the face, look hard at, look intently, strain one's eyes, fix the eyes upon, rivet the eyes upon, stare, gaze, pore over, gloat on, leer, ogle, glare, goggle, cock the eye, squint, gloat, look askance.