SPY. One who goes into a place for the purpose of ascertaining the best way One who goes into a place for the purpose of ascertaining the best way of doing an injury there. 2. The term is mostly applied to an enemy who comes into the camp for the purpose of ascertaining its situation in order to make an attack upon it. The punishment for, this crime is death. See Articles of War, 1 Story's Laws U. S. 992; Vattel, Droit des Gens. liv. 3, Sec. 179.