–noun

1.	a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, esp. with reference to military or naval affairs.

2.	a person who keeps close and secret watch on the actions and words of another or others.

3.	a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, esp. one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor: an industrial spy.

4.	the act of s 370 pying.

–verb (used without object)

5.	to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often fol. by on or upon).

6.	to act as a spy; engage in espionage.

7.	to be on the lookout; keep watch.

8.	to search for or examine something closely or carefully.

–verb (used with object)

9.	to catch sight of suddenly; espy; descry: to spy a ra 78 re bird overhead.

10.	to discover ed2 or find out by observation or scrutiny (often fol. by out).

11.	to observe (a person, place, enemy, etc.) secretively or furtively with hostile intent.

12.	to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.

–noun

1.	Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them. Compare hardware (def. 5).

2.	anything that is not hardware but is used with hardware, esp. audiovisual materials, as film, tapes, records, etc.: a studio fully equipped but lacking software.

3.	Television Slang. prepackaged materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.