Espionage

The ongoing style of warfare that is almost always waged by official channels but rarely without plausible deniability. Its soldiers, generally referred to as spies, generally suffer anonymous, violent, and/or painful ends. During the height of the cold war, when these ends happened more often, propaganda helped make spying cool to make recruiting easier.

Es"pi*o*nage [F. espionnage, fr. espionner to spy, fr. espion spy, OF. espie. See Espy.]

The practice or employment of spies; the practice of watching the words and conduct of others, to make discoveries, as spies or secret emissaries; secret watching.

© Webster 1913.