housebreaker

[ hous-brey-ker ]

/ ˈhaʊsˌbreɪ kər /

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See synonyms for: housebreaker / housebreaking on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who breaks into and enters a house with a felonious intent.

British.

a worker or wrecking company that demolishes houses and buildings, as to make room for new construction.
a person who buys doors, paneled walls, etc., from standing houses, to sell as antiques; a person who dismantles a house of its valuable parts before it is torn down.

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Origin of housebreaker

1275–1325; Middle English. See house, breaker¹

housebreaking, noun

The insidious servant becomes a tyrannical master; the housebreaker is innocent, the horse thief guiltless in comparison.
Etidorhpa or the End of Earth.|John Uri Lloyd
"Take that burly housebreaker, bind him, and put him to the test," were the instructions they received.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
The darkness of the upper hallway offered no obstacle to this familiar housebreaker.
The Oakdale Affair|Edgar Rice Burroughs
Six pairs of eyes, blear or foxy, were riveted upon the boyish figure of the housebreaker.
The Oakdale Affair|Edgar Rice Burroughs

But surely madame la princesse must appreciate the police might be at a loss to know which housebreaker to arrest.
Red Masquerade|Louis Joseph Vance