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

See Examples For:

cat burglar

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

A cat burglar adversary to Batman, the role has shifted over the years to love interest and love interest/adversary.

From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2022

Separately, inside the besieged city, the orphaned seamstress Anna has developed herself a side hustle as a cat burglar to raise money for her sick sister, Maria.

From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2021

It slid open with just a couple of squeaks, then I was inside the Amos house crouched down like a cat burglar.

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis