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 ?
But before they left the garden the Tin Woodman, who was fond of flowers, chanced to espy a big red rose growing upon a bush; so he plucked the flower and fastened it securely in the tin buttonhole of his tin bosom.
Conceived by artist and Elysium Gallery director Daniel Staveley out of a desire to bring a regular series of ambitious contemporary photography exhibitions to Wales, Espy offers a first prize for analogue photography and a first prize for digital photography.
As I wrote three weeks ago, both the politics and the numbers were stacked for Hyde-Smith and against Espy
Espy, 64, replied: "I don't know what's in your heart but I know what came out of your mouth."
Cindy Hyde-Smith is looking to become the state's first woman elected official in Congress, while Espy could become Mississippi's first African-American senator since Reconstruction.
Hyde-Smith first defended the statement as an "exaggerated expression of regard" for the supporter before offering a limited apology during a debate with Espy last week.
It's a race that has grown more heated in the last week as video emerged of Hyde-Smith praising a supporter by saying: "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." Hyde-Smith said that was "an exaggerated expression of regard." She has counterattacked against Espy by pointing out that he lobbied for a later-deposed African leader who's now on trial for crimes against humanity.
Even CNN's Alice Stewart, who was gushy in her praise of Espy and considerably less so of Hyde-Smith, nonetheless observed
Whereas Stephens' anecdote was that "Sing, Ignis" had been inspired by a German folk song which had been recorded in different translations by Ives and Dyer-Bennet, Espy's commentary had the poem itself being recorded in different translations (?) by the folksingers.
“We are proud to have represented the property owner, Harper Peterson, who through his efforts over a 25 year period, ensured the vitality and ongoing presence of this historic property,” said Espy. “The new tenant, Kabob and Grill, will be a great addition to the downtown Wilmington market.”
Espy recently left the UO to become senior vice president for research at the University of Arizona.
The ESPY broadcast premiered an exclusive vignette, featuring Gonzalez's journey from grizzly mountain man to presenter, culminating in his appearance onstage at the show.