Espionage
Sponsored by Barbara ClarkCame first in group 1021 in round 1 with 343 votesbeat Inchoate on 328 votesbeat Ravine on 159 votesbeat Tump on 109 votes
Came second in group 256 in round 2 with 208 votesbeaten by Bumptious on 627 votesbeat Repechage on 178 votesbeat Cherub on 146 votes
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Recorded since 1793, from French espionnage, from espionner (“to spy”), from Middle French espionner (“to spy”), from espion (“spy”), from Old French espion (“spy”), from Frankish *spehō (“spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to spy, peek, peer”). In modern times, the French pronunciation of the s, which had fallen silent since the 13th century, was restored due to the influence of Italian spione (“spy”), and was therefore also adopted by the English. More at spy.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
espionage (countable and uncountable, plural espionages)
- The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means.
- 1859, George Meredith, chapter 16, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC:
- So intolerable did Heavy Benson's espionage become, that Raynham would have grown depopulated of its womankind had not Adrian interfered, who pointed out to the Baronet what a fearful arm his butler was wielding.
- 2003 June 20, Joseph Purdy, “Totally Switched”, in Totally Spies!, season 2, episode 19, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Andrea Taylor as Clover and Katie Leigh), Marathon Media, via Teletoon:
- What a freak show! I mean, how often do you meet a wrestling librarian?
Yeah, about as often as you meet a high schoolgirl involved in international espionage… Okay, bad example.
Synonyms[edit]
Coordinate terms[edit]
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Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
act of learning secret information through clandestine means
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