The kanji 偵 primarily means "spy," "detective," or "to investigate." It carries the core meaning of observing, secretly gathering information, and figuring out the truth. It suggests a process of uncovering hidden details.

・On-yomi (音読み): テイ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): さぐ（る）

⚫︎偵察（ていさつ） Translation: reconnaissance; scouting; surveillance ⚫︎探偵（たんてい） Translation: detective; private investigator ⚫︎密偵（みってい） Translation: spy; secret agent

The kanji 偵 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). It is composed of the semantic component 亻 (nin, meaning "person") on the left and the phonetic component 貞 (tei, indicating sound) on the right. 貞 originally meant "truth" or "upright," which evolved to mean "firm" or "constant." The combination suggests a person (亻) who is steadfast or focused on uncovering the truth (貞), implying the role of a spy or someone seeking information. The phonetic component also contributes to the sound of the kanji.