spy

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. secret agent, scout, undercover man, informer, stool pigeon, mole (sl.). See information, concealment.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. secret agent, intelligence agent, counterintelligence agent, counterspy, operative, espionage agent, double agent, emissary, scout, detective, observer, watcher, wiretapper, intelligencer, undercover man, secret-service agent, peeping Tom, mole*, spook*, Mata Hari*.

v.

1. [To see]

Syn. view, behold, descry; see see 1 .

2. [To act as a spy]

Syn. scout, observe, watch, examine, scrutinize, take note, search, discover, look for, hunt, turn over, peer, pry, spy upon, set a watch on, hound, trail, follow, gumshoe*, heel*, sleuth*, spot*, fish out*; see also meddle 1 , 2 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

intelligence agent, secret agent, undercover agent, double agent, secret service agent, CIA agent, operative, snoop, investigator, *mole, *tail, informer, *private eye, scout. see spying

II

v.

1. watch surreptitiously observe, stake out, keep under surveillance, shadow, *case, *tail, *check out, scout, reconnoiter, eavesdrop, *bug, snoop, investigate, pry, engage in espionage, infiltrate, gather intelligence. see spying

2. catch sight of see, perceive, make out, detect, spot, sight, glimpse.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun A person who secretly observes others to obtain information: agent, operative. Informal: spook. Idiom: secret (or undercover) agent. See INVESTIGATE. II verb 1. To observe or listen in secret to obtain information: eavesdrop. See INVESTIGATE. 2. To perceive, especially barely or fleet-mgly: catch, descry, detect, discern, espy, glimpse, spot. See SEE.