Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Descry

Descry , transitive verb

[Old English descrien, discrien, to espy, prob. from the proclaiming of what was espied, from Old French descrier to proclaim, cry down, decry, French décrier. The word was confused somewhat with Old French descriven, English describe, Old French descrivre, from Latin describere. See Decry.]

1.
To spy out or discover by the eye, as objects distant or obscure; to espy; to recognize; to discern; to discover.
And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. — Judg. i. 23
Edmund, I think, is gone... to descry The strength o' the enemy. — Shakespeare
And now their way to earth they had descried. — Milton
2.
To discover; to disclose; to reveal. [Rare]
His purple robe he had thrown aside, lest it should descry him. — Milton

Descry , noun

Discovery or view, as of an army seen at a distance. [Obsolete]
Near, and on speedy foot; the main descry Stands on the hourly thought. — Shakespeare