spiare
to spy
verb spee-AH-reh Rare
Origin: From Germanic *speha (to spy), via Old French espier.
Also means
to peep
Usage Note
Spiare means to spy on or to watch covertly; also used colloquially for peeping through a keyhole or window. It takes avere as auxiliary: ho spiato ('I spied'). In casual speech, spiare qualcuno can mean simply watching someone without their knowing, not necessarily for sinister reasons.
Examples
"La spiava dalla finestra."
Natural Translation
He was spying on her from the window.
Literal Translation
Her he-was-spying from-the window.
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