thief

[ theef ]
/ θif /

noun, plural thieves.

a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM thief

un·der·thief, noun, plural un·der·thieves.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH thief

burglar mugger robber thief (see synonym study at the current entry)

Example sentences 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 of thief

thievish, adjective thievishly, adverb thievishness, noun

Word Origin for thief

Old English thēof; related to Old Frisian thiāf, Old Saxon thiof, Old High German diob, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs