Spies
/spaɪz/noun
Persons who secretly observe or gather information about others, often for political or military purposes.
Did you know?The term 'spy' traces back to ancient roots, connecting it to the act of watching, a practice steeped in both secrecy and the occult.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speḱ-
“to observe, look, or see.”
Latin
Latin
specere
“to look at, to behold.”
Old French
Old French
espier
“to spy, to watch.”
Middle English
Middle English
spien
“to observe secretly.”
Modern English
English
spies
“persons engaged in secret surveillance or intelligence gathering.”