espial
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɪˈspaɪəl/
- Archaic
- His espial of the suspect was crucial for the investigation.
Examples
-
The scout’s careful espial revealed the movement of enemy troops in the valley.
-
Her sudden espial of a rare bird delighted all the members of the group.
-
After hours of espial, the detective finally saw the suspect emerge from the building.
-
She conducted an espial of the area before the event.
-
The detective's quiet espial of the suspect proved crucial to solving the case.
-
Surveillance footage revealed the espial of the visitors during the museum heist.
-
The child's espial of the garden birds brought her great joy each morning.
Synonyms
221
1.0
Looking at something carefully for some time to notice changes
50
4.6
The act of secretly watching people or places to get information
How Secret
- Specialized
104
7.3
- Specialized
628
6.2
- Archaic
1
9.9
221
1.0
148
3.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Etymology
Espial comes from an old French verb espier, meaning 'to spy' or 'to watch'. It is the same idea as the English word spy, so espial means the act of watching or secretly observing.