spy1 /spaɪ/ ●●○ noun (plural spies) [countableC] n COLLOCATIONSverbswork as a spyHe died while working as a government spy.
be arrested/imprisoned/shot etc as a spyAnyone caught working with the Resistance was shot as a spy.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + spya British/American etc spyHe was arrested on suspicion of being an American spy.
a foreign spyThe activities of foreign spies have increased.
an enemy spyHe gave information to enemy spies.
a government spyThey thought I was a government spy.
spy + NOUNa spy story/novel/movie etcJohn le Carré is famous for writing spy stories.
one of the most exciting spy movies of all time
a spy ring (also a network of spies) (=a group of spies)He was well informed through his network of spies.
a spy satellite/plane (=used for spying)The Americans have denied using spy satellites to spy on China.
The photographs were taken by spy planes.
a spy chief (also a spymaster)Britain's first woman spy chief
John le Carré’s fictional spy master George Smiley
n THESAURUSspy someone whose job is to find out secret information about another countryStalin controlled a network of spies.
The film is basically a spy story.
agent/secret agent someone who works for a government or police department in order to get secret information about another country or organizationa secret agent working for MI5
He is the FBI’s best undercover agent (=one who works secretly and pretends to be someone else).
double agent someone who finds out an enemy country’s secrets for their own country but who also gives secrets to the enemya former CIA double agent who also worked for the KGB
mole someone who works for an organization while secretly giving information to its enemiesA mole in the government was leaking information to the press.
informer someone who secretly tells the police about criminal activities, especially for moneyActing on information from an informer, the police raided the house.
espionage the work that spies doHe is serving a 20-year prison sentence for espionage.