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Synonyms

pickpocket

American  
[pik-pok-it] / ˈpɪkˌpɒk ɪt /

noun

  1. a person who steals money, wallets, etc., from the pockets of people, as in crowded public places.

verb (used with object)

  1. to steal (a wallet, money, etc.) in the manner of a pickpocket.

  2. to steal from (a person) in the manner of a pickpocket.

pickpocket British  
/ ˈpɪkˌpɒkɪt /

noun

  1. a person who steals from the pockets or handbags of others in public places

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pickpocket

First recorded in 1585–95; pick 1 + pocket

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.

His quick reflexes and deft glovework earned him the nickname "pickpocket" from former Indian coach Ravi Shastri.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025

His initial meeting with Grace, a pickpocket he picks up because she may hold a key to the keys, is flat, rather than charming.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2023

TCU: The Horned Frogs disrupted the Longhorns with quick hands and pickpocket steals that turned into early points.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2023

A very fast read, the book follows a well-mannered pickpocket and serves as a guide of sorts to the dynamics of the city’s ancient markets — the swindling, the bargaining, the haggling for a deal.

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2022

And if not, then could Harry’s death have been more than just an awful coincidence, the result of a foolish choice to pickpocket the wrong man?

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.