verb
- to catch sight of; to spot or notice, especially something distant or partially hidden
Usage: literary
Examples
- From the tower, we could espy ships on the distant horizon.
- The hunter espied a deer through the thick forest undergrowth.
- She espied her friend across the crowded marketplace.
- The lookout espied enemy troops approaching from the east.
- Through the fog, they managed to espy the lighthouse beacon.
- The detective espied a suspicious figure lurking in the shadows.