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Glite Dictionary
espial

espial

1 9.9
To watch someone or something carefully, often in secret
  • noun
  • /ɪˈspaɪəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : observación
  • 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

spying
vsespial
66 4.6

The act of secretly watching people or places to get information

is sometimes secret but often simply means noticing without intent to collect information
watching
vsespial
1 1.0

Looking at something carefully for some time to notice changes

is sometimes secret or brief rather than continuous careful observation

How Secret

espionage
  • Specialized
108 7.3
surveillance
  • Specialized
526 6.2
espial
  • Archaic
1 9.9
watching
1 1.0
observation
211 3.0
look
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

espial singular
espials plural

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.