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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.

For 23-year-old Lucas Leach, who plays pickpocket Gabriel, returning to school to film Crookhaven was a cathartic experience.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

And so, I always equate it to a pickpocket.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2025

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

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2023

He explained that if cameras detected a person spending too much time at a train station, the system could flag a possible pickpocket.

From New York Times • Jun. 25, 2022

“Act One, Scene Six is the pickpocket scene, right?” asks Taylor, because she's also the kind of person who pretends to ask a question just to show off what she already knows.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

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.