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plural thieves
ˈthēvz
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also
: one who commits theft or larceny
Examples of thief in a Sentence
A thief took my purse.
a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web
Three thieves attacked a man in a strong-arm robbery that netted $500,000 in jewelry, only for an Apple AirTag to lead police to two suspects in Queens, cops said on Friday.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
Security camera footage shows thieves running off with packages delivered to a home or even brazenly posing as a homeowner to accept an item directly from the delivery person.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024
What is unavoidable, though, is the fact that thieves know professional athletes' exact schedules, which was seen during the Mahomes and Kelce break-ins.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024
The Minneapolis Star Tribune also reported in September that thieves broke into the home of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of thief was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing thief
Articles Related to thief
Dictionary Entries Near thief
Cite this Entry
“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Legal Definition
thief
noun
plural thieves
: one who commits theft
Etymology
Old English thēof
More from Merriam-Webster on thief
Nglish: Translation of thief for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of thief for Arabic Speakers
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