Espy
/ɪˈspaɪ/noun
To catch sight of or notice something, often from a distance.
Did you know?Espy comes through Old French from Latin *spicāre*, “to look out,” ultimately tied to a root meaning “to observe,” which is why it feels like a word for hidden watching rather than ordinary seeing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to observe, look at”
Latin
Latin
spicāre
“to look out, watch for”
Old French
Old French
espier
“to watch, spy on, observe”
Middle English
English
espien
“to spy out, catch sight of”
Modern English
English
espy
“to catch sight of or notice”