cat burglar

American  

noun

1. a burglar who breaks into buildings by climbing through upstairs windows, across roofs, etc., especially with great stealth and agility.

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cat burglar British  

noun

1. a burglar who enters buildings by climbing through upper windows, skylights, etc

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Etymology

Origin of cat burglar

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

He is a cat burglar - a kleptomaniac kitty who apparently cannot be reformed.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2022

They are worse than the solitary crooks who occasionally slink past our homes because they are ubiquitous, invisible and more elusive than even the wiliest cat burglar.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2022

It’s just … a cat burglar tale, alongside completely irrelevant questions.

From Slate • May 28, 2022

The colt had never really sat behind horses, preferring to steal to the front like a cat burglar and dare the authorities to run him down.

From New York Times • May 21, 2022

Mr. Lemoncello had changed out of his judge’s costume into some kind of cat burglar outfit—black pants, ribbed black turtleneck, and sporty black beret.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein