† spieryn.
Obsolete.
The fact or condition of being a spy; the action of spying; espionage.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [noun]
spying1338
espying1340
espialc1386
espyc1386
spyc1450
especiala1500
spieryc1588
intelligence1602
worming1607
scouting1644
espionage1793
spyism1847
spydom1859
obbo1933
great game1936
spooking1977
c1588 R. Persons in J. Morris Troubles Catholic Forefathers (1875) (modernized text) 2nd Ser. 312 After I had read over the whole story..of his living in England,..his examinations, confessions, fictions, accusations, slanders, spiery, recantation and the like.
1602 W. Watson Decacordon Ten Quodlibeticall Questions 132 This good Cardinall [was] most spitefully infamed by these three Priests (though al in one predicament of spierie if any were).
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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n.c1588- stockfather
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