thief
[ theef ]
/ θif /
noun, plural thieves.
a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.
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Nearby words
Origin of thief
before 900; Middle English; Old English thēof; cognate with Dutch dief, German Dieb, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs
SYNONYMS FOR thief
burglar, pickpocket, highwayman. Thief, robber refer to one who steals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealth without the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, and makes away with things of value, even at the cost of violence: A robber held up two women on the street.
Related forms
un·der·thief, noun, plural un·der·thieves.Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for thief
British Dictionary definitions for thief
thief
/ (θiːf) /
noun plural thieves (θiːvz)
a person who steals something from another
criminal law a person who commits theft
Derived Forms
thievish, adjectivethievishly, adverbthievishness, nounWord Origin for thief
Old English thēof; related to Old Frisian thiāf, Old Saxon thiof, Old High German diob, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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