spy
• noun (pl. spies) 1 a person employed to collect and report secret information on an enemy or competitor. 2 a person or device that observes others secretly. • verb (spies, spied) 1 be a spy. 2 (spy on) observe furtively. 3 observe or notice. 4 (spy out) collect information about (something) before deciding how to act. — ORIGIN from Old French espier ‘espy’.
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