espy

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es·py

 (ĭ-spī′)
tr.v. es·pied, es·py·ing, es·pies
To catch sight of (something that is distant, partially hidden, or obscure); glimpse. See Synonyms at see1.

[Middle English espien, from Old French espier, to watch, of Germanic origin; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

espy

(ɪˈspaɪ)
vb, -pies, -pying or -pied
(tr) to catch sight of or perceive (something distant or previously unnoticed); detect: to espy a ship on the horizon.
[C14: from Old French espier to spy, of Germanic origin]
esˈpier n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

es•py

(ɪˈspaɪ)

v.t. -pied, -py•ing.
to see at a distance; catch sight of.
[1175–1225; Middle English < Old French espier « Germanic; see espionage]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

espy


Past participle: espied
Gerund: espying

Imperative
espy
espy
Present
I espy
you espy
he/she/it espies
we espy
you espy
they espy
Preterite
I espied
you espied
he/she/it espied
we espied
you espied
they espied
Present Continuous
I am espying
you are espying
he/she/it is espying
we are espying
you are espying
they are espying
Present Perfect
I have espied
you have espied
he/she/it has espied
we have espied
you have espied
they have espied
Past Continuous
I was espying
you were espying
he/she/it was espying
we were espying
you were espying
they were espying
Past Perfect
I had espied
you had espied
he/she/it had espied
we had espied
you had espied
they had espied
Future
I will espy
you will espy
he/she/it will espy
we will espy
you will espy
they will espy
Future Perfect
I will have espied
you will have espied
he/she/it will have espied
we will have espied
you will have espied
they will have espied
Future Continuous
I will be espying
you will be espying
he/she/it will be espying
we will be espying
you will be espying
they will be espying
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been espying
you have been espying
he/she/it has been espying
we have been espying
you have been espying
they have been espying
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been espying
you will have been espying
he/she/it will have been espying
we will have been espying
you will have been espying
they will have been espying
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been espying
you had been espying
he/she/it had been espying
we had been espying
you had been espying
they had been espying
Conditional
I would espy
you would espy
he/she/it would espy
we would espy
you would espy
they would espy
Past Conditional
I would have espied
you would have espied
he/she/it would have espied
we would have espied
you would have espied
they would have espied
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.espy - catch sight of
sight, spy - catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; "he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

espy

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

espy

verb
To perceive, especially barely or fleetingly:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

espy

[ɪsˈpaɪ] VT (liter) → divisar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

espy

vt (old, liter)erspähen, erblicken
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

espy

[ɪˈspaɪ] vt (old) → notare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
Finding everything still, he marched into the kitchen, and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle; and then, espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the match to them to light it.
Espying a ripe and ready market of like-minded souls hungry for rocking deliverance, their born to burn - and run - approach has snared them some support dates with Bruce Springsteen.