different between inspect vs espy

English

Alternative forms

• enspect (rare)

Etymology

From Latin inspectum, past participle of inspicere (“to look into”), from in (“in”) + spicere (“to look at”), equivalent to in- +? -spect

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?sp?kt/
• Rhymes: -?kt

Verb

inspect (third-person singular simple present inspects, present participle inspecting, simple past and past participle inspected)

1. To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.

2. To view and examine officially.

Derived terms

• inspector
• inspection

Translations

Anagrams

• incepts, pectins, peincts

English

Etymology

From Old French espier (French épier). More at spy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??spa?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Verb

espy (third-person singular simple present espies, present participle espying, simple past and past participle espied)

1. (transitive) To catch sight of; to see; to spot (said especially of something not easy to see)
   • 1880, Charu Chandra Mookerjee translating Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Durgesa Nandini

     Bimala looked at the direction in silence. Deep and hard breathings entered her ear, and she espied something near the road.

   • 1893, Horatio Alger, Cast Upon the Breakers Chapter 2

     "Ha!" said John, espying the open casket, "where did you get all that jewelry?"

   • 2011, May 1, Alice Rawsthron, The New York Times, Skull and Crossbones as Branding Tool

     By the turn of the 18th century, when Captain Cranby espied Wynn's skull and crossbones, the piracy trade was flourishing and ambitious pirates were becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they operated.

2. (transitive) To examine and keep watch upon; to watch; to observe.
   • 1651, Jeremy Taylor, Twenty-sermons for the winter half-year, "The Entail of Curses cut off"

     God is “inquisitive;” he looks for that which he fain would never find; God sets spies upon us; he looks upon us himself through the curtains of a cloud, and he sends angels to espy us in all our ways

3. (intransitive) To look or search narrowly; to look about; to watch; to take notice; to spy.
   • 1611, King James Bible, Jeremiah 48:19

     O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

Synonyms

See Thesaurus:spot

Translations

Anagrams

• Pyes, Spey, pyes, spye, yeps