pilfer
verb (used with or without object)
to steal, especially in small quantities.
had been pilfering
-
past perfect progressiveof pilfer.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Henry Hudson was set adrift after his crew discovered that he had been pilfering the ship's stores.
From Time Magazine Archive
One day, however, as he was coming out of a bag of cherry-stones, where he had been pilfering as usual, the boy to whom it belonged chanced to see him.
From Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories The Young Folks Treasury, Volume 1 by Edward Everett Hale
One day, however, as he was coming out of a bag of cherrystones, where he had been pilfering as usual, the boy to whom it belonged chanced to see him.
From The History of Tom Thumb to which are added the stories of the Cat and the Mouse and Fire! Fire! Burn stick! by Henry Altemus
