SPYING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does spying mean? 

• SPYING (noun)
  The noun SPYING has 3 senses:

1. keeping a secret or furtive watch

2. the act of keeping a secret watch for intelligence purposes

3. the act of detecting something; catching sight of something

  Familiarity information: SPYING used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPYING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Keeping a secret or furtive watch

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("spying" is a kind of...):

vigil; watch (a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe)

Derivation:

spy (watch, observe, or inquire secretly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of keeping a secret watch for intelligence purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

spying; undercover work

Hypernyms ("spying" is a kind of...):

intelligence; intelligence activity; intelligence operation (the operation of gathering information about an enemy)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spying"):

espionage (the systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets)

Derivation:

spy (secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of detecting something; catching sight of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

catching; detection; espial; spotting; spying

Hypernyms ("spying" is a kind of...):

discovery; find; uncovering (the act of discovering something)

Derivation:

spy (catch sight of)

 Context examples 

Meanwhile, I can inform you that no spying upon me can in any way help Mr. Godfrey Staunton, and I am convinced that the best service you can do to that gentleman is to return at once to London and to report to your employer that you are unable to trace him.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)