stole

[ stohl ]

/ stoʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stole ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

simple past tense of steal.

Words nearby stole

stokesay castle, stokowski, stokvel, stol, stola, stole, stolen, stolen generation, stolid, stollen, stolon

Definition for stole (2 of 3)

stole ²

[ stohl ]

/ stoʊl /

noun

an ecclesiastical vestment consisting of a narrow strip of silk or other material worn over the shoulders or, by deacons, over the left shoulder only, and arranged to hang down in front to the knee or below. Compare tippet(def 2).

a woman's shoulder scarf of fur, marabou, silk, or other material. Compare tippet(def 1).

a long robe, especially one worn by the matrons of ancient Rome.

Origin of stole

before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin stola < Greek stolḗ clothing, robe; akin to Greek stéllein to array, Old English stellan to place, put

Definition for stole (3 of 3)

steal

[ steel ]

/ stil /

verb (used with object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force: A pickpocket stole his watch.

to appropriate (ideas, credit, words, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.

to take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance: He stole my girlfriend.

to move, bring, convey, or put secretly or quietly; smuggle (usually followed by away, from, in, into, etc.): They stole the bicycle into the bedroom to surprise the child.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to gain (a base) without the help of a walk or batted ball, as by running to it during the delivery of a pitch.

Games. to gain (a point, advantage, etc.) by strategy, chance, or luck.

to gain or seize more than one's share of attention in, as by giving a superior performance: The comedian stole the show.

verb (used without object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

to commit or practice theft.

to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved: She stole out of the house at midnight.

to pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually: The years steal by.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to advance a base without the help of a walk or batted ball.

noun

Informal. an act of stealing; theft.

Informal. the thing stolen; booty.

Informal. something acquired at a cost far below its real value; bargain: This dress is a steal at $40.

Baseball. the act of advancing a base by stealing.

Origin of steal

before 900; 1860–65 for def 5; Middle English stelen, Old English stelan; cognate with German stehlen, Old Norse stela, Gothic stilan

historical usage of steal

Steal and its kindred words come from the Germanic root stel- “to rob, steal” (as in Gothic stilan, Old English, Old Frisian, Old High German stelan, German stehlen ); the root has no certain relatives outside Germanic.
The idea of secrecy and concealment is a natural association, as in the words derivative of stel-, such as the noun stealth (Middle English stelthe, stelth, from Germanic stēlithō ), and the verb stalk “to follow or observe secretly or cautiously.” One of the current senses of stalk “to follow or harass someone obsessively over a period of time” dates from the early 1980s.

OTHER WORDS FROM steal

steal·a·ble, adjective steal·er, noun non·steal·a·ble, adjective out·steal, verb (used with object), out·stole, out·sto·len, out·steal·ing.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH steal

burglarize mug rip off rob steal (see synonym study at rob) steal steel stele

Example sentences from the Web for stole

Yep, the song the Whos sing in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing. |Michael Tomasky |December 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
“He did not trust his slaves and regularly complained that they shirked work, stole supplies, and broke tools,” writes Larson.

Washington’s Wheeler-Dealer Patriotism |William O’Connor |October 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Judge Drioux intimated Picasso he was part of a larger gang of criminals who stole the Mona Lisa.

Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa? |Nick Mafi |October 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The problem now is that they came back to the fight with sophisticated weapons, weapons they stole from the Americans.

Obama Is Just 'Tickling' ISIS, Syrian Rebels Say |Josh Rogin |August 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

McCain said those were U.S. weapons that ISIS stole during its plundering of Mosul.

McCain Calls Obama's 'Pinprick' Iraq Strikes 'Meaningless' and 'Almost Worse Than Nothing' |Josh Rogin |August 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It seems always the glorious prototype of Mariposilla, who ever stole its fickle lights and shades.

Mariposilla |Mary Stewart Daggett
With the box still in his hands he stole on tiptoe into the room and looked carefully round him.

The Secret Chamber at Chad |Evelyn Everett-Green
I stole away and left Mrs. J—— snoring, so won't do to wake her, you know.

Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities |Robert Smith Surtees
The voices in Susy's sickroom ceased to murmur; presently Mrs. Collins stole softly upstairs.

The Children of Wilton Chase |Mrs. L. T. Meade
I stole noiselessly away, feeling shocked and unhappy, lest I had unlawfully witnessed a soul pleading with God.

All the Days of My Life: An Autobiography |Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr

British Dictionary definitions for stole (1 of 3)

stole ¹

/ (stəʊl) /

verb

the past tense of steal

British Dictionary definitions for stole (2 of 3)

stole ²

/ (stəʊl) /

noun

a long scarf or shawl, worn by women

a long narrow scarf worn by various officiating clergymen

Word Origin for stole

Old English stole, from Latin stola, Greek stolē clothing; related to stellein to array

British Dictionary definitions for stole (3 of 3)

steal

/ (stiːl) /

verb steals, stealing, stole or stolen

to take (something) from someone, etc without permission or unlawfully, esp in a secret manner

(tr) to obtain surreptitiously

(tr) to appropriate (ideas, etc) without acknowledgment, as in plagiarism

to move or convey stealthily they stole along the corridor

(intr) to pass unnoticed the hours stole by

(tr) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sports to steal a few yards

steal a march on to obtain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand measure

steal someone's thunder to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him

steal the show to be looked upon as the most interesting, popular, etc, esp unexpectedly

noun informal

the act of stealing

something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost

Word Origin for steal

Old English stelan; related to Old Frisian, Old Norse stela Gothic stilan, German stehlen

Medical definitions for stole

steal

[ stēl ]

n.

The diversion of blood flow from its normal course.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stole

verb

Words nearby stole

Definition for stole (2 of 3)

noun

Origin of stole

Definition for stole (3 of 3)

verb (used with object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

verb (used without object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

noun

Origin of steal

historical usage of steal

OTHER WORDS FROM steal

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH steal

Example sentences from the Web for stole

British Dictionary definitions for stole (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for stole (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for stole

British Dictionary definitions for stole (3 of 3)

verb steals, stealing, stole or stolen

noun informal

Word Origin for steal

Medical definitions for stole

n.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stole

verb

Words nearby stole

Definition for stole (2 of 3)

noun

Origin of stole

Definition for stole (3 of 3)

verb (used with object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

verb (used without object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

noun

Origin of steal

historical usage of steal

OTHER WORDS FROM steal

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH steal

Words related to stole

Example sentences from the Web for stole

British Dictionary definitions for stole (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for stole (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for stole

British Dictionary definitions for stole (3 of 3)

verb steals, stealing, stole or stolen

noun informal

Word Origin for steal

Medical definitions for stole

n.