espy

verb

es·​py i-ˈspī How to pronounce espy (audio)
espied; espying

transitive verb

: to catch sight of
among the several horses … she espied the white mustangZane Grey

Examples of espy in a Sentence

out of the corner of my eye I espied the squirrel making another raid on the bird feeder
Recent Examples on the Web The film’s comedy is built from a series of infinitesimal touches and chance intrusions, as when Édouard, espying Charles in the street, leaps from his seat at a sidewalk café and jostles a waiter bearing drinks. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024 Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love. Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024 If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024 Images taken from different realities, different spaces, times, places that have been sort of cut out and pasted together to create a new scene that depicts something that no human eye would ever have espied. Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2023 Resentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia. Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020 The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019 For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna. Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'espy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English espien, from Anglo-French espier — more at spy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of espy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near espy

Cite this Entry

“Espy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espy. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

espy

verb
es·​py is-ˈpī How to pronounce espy (audio)
espied; espying
: to catch sight of
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