Spy v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spied p. pr. & vb. n. Spying.]
 1. To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.
    One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.   --Swift.
 2. To discover by close search or examination.
    Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.   --Latimer.
 3. To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out.
    Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.   --Num. xxi. 32.
 spying
      n 1: keeping a secret or furtive watch
      2: the act of keeping a secret watch for intelligence purposes
         [syn: undercover work]
      3: the act of detecting something; catching sight of something
         [syn: detection, catching, espial, spotting]