Definition of "spy" []

• An agent employed by a state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies. (noun)
• One employed by a company to obtain confidential information about its competitors. (noun)
• One who secretly keeps watch on another or others. (noun)
• An act of spying. (noun)
• To observe secretly with hostile intent. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And -- went on the cool, quiet mind -- since the man was _not_ a spy how could a Union officer be executed for assisting a _spy_ to escape?"
• "The term spy ware refers to software programs made by unscrupulous marketing companies that allow them to snoop on your browsing activity, see what you purchase, and cause pop-up ads to appear on your computer."
• "Just as it looks like the spy is about to complete his mission and escape, he is gunned down by Major John Casey, an NSA agent who has encountered him before."