Part 830

Es*pi"er (?), n. One who espies. Harmar.

Es"pi*nel (?), n. A kind of ruby. See Spinel.

Es"pi*o*nage (?; 277), n. [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.

Es`pla*nade" (?), n. [F. esplanade, Sp. esplanada, explanada, cf. It. spianata; fr. Sp. explanar to level, L. explanare to flatten or spread out. See Explain.] 1. (Fort.) (a) A clear space between a citadel and the nearest houses of the town. Campbell (Mil. Dict. ). (b) The glacis of the counterscarp, or the slope of the parapet of the covered way toward the country.

2. (Hort.) A grass plat; a lawn. Simmonds.

3. Any clear, level space used for public walks or drives; esp., a terrace by the seaside.

Es*plees" (?), n. pl. [LL. expletia, OF. espleit. Cf. Exploit.] (Old Eng. Law) The full profits or products which ground or land yields, as the hay of the meadows, the feed of the pasture, the grain of arable fields, the rents, services, and the like. Cowell.

Es*pous"age (?), n. Espousal. [Obs.] Latimer.

Es*pous"al (?), n. [OF. espousailles, pl., F. épousailles, L. sponsalia, fr. sponsalis belonging to betrothal or espousal. See Espouse, and cf. Sponsal, Spousal.] 1. The act of espousing or betrothing; especially, in the plural, betrothal; plighting of the troths; a contract of marriage; sometimes, the marriage ceremony.

2. The uniting or allying one's self with anything; maintenance; adoption; as, the espousal of a quarrel.

The open espousal of his cause.

Lord Orford.

Es*pouse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Espoused (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Espousing.] [OF. espouser, esposer, F. épouser, L. sponsare to betroth, espouse, fr. sponsus betrothed, p. p. of spondere to promise solemnly or sacredly. Cf. Spouse.] 1. To betroth; to promise in marriage; to give as spouse.

A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph.

Luke i. 27.

2. To take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry.

Lavinia will I make my empress, . . . And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse.

Shak.

3. To take to one's self with a view to maintain; to make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace. "He espoused that quarrel." Bacon.

Promised faithfully to espouse his cause as soon as he got out of the war.

Bp. Burnet.

Es*pouse"ment (?), n. [Cf. OF. espousement.] The act of espousing, or the state of being espoused.

Es*pous"er (?), n. One who espouses; one who embraces the cause of another or makes it his own.

||Es`pres*si"vo (?), a. [It.] (Mus.) With expression.

Es*prin"gal (?), n. [See Springal.] (Mil. Antiq.) An engine of war used for throwing viretons, large stones, and other missiles; a springal.

||Es`prit" (?), n. [F. See Spirit.] Spirit.

Esprit de corps (&?;), a French phrase much used by English writers to denote the common spirit pervading the members of a body or association of persons. It implies sympathy, enthusiasm, devotion, and jealous regard for the honor of the body as a whole.

Es*py" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Espied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Espying.] [OF. espier, F. épier, from OHG. speh&?;n to watch, spy, G. spähen; akin to L. specere to look, species sight, shape, appearance, kind. See Spice, Spy, and cf. Espionage.] 1. To catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; to discover, as a distant object partly concealed, or not obvious to notice; to see at a glance; to discern unexpectedly; to spy; as, to espy land; to espy a man in a crowd.