verb
purloin
PUR-loyn/ˈpɜːrlɔɪn/
To steal something secretly.
The guest purloins a silver spoon while the host looks away.
Etymology
“Forth” and “long” underlie the idea of putting something far away. The earlier meaning “remove” developed into “misappropriate” and “steal”; purloin thus shares its historical elements with prolong.
More examples
- Someone purloined my wallet while I was swimming.
- She slipped into the office to purloin a confidential report.
- The camera caught him purloining jewelry from an open drawer.
Forms
purloin · purloins · purloined · purloining
Similar words
- steal
- Steal is the general term, without emphasizing secrecy.
- pilfer
- Pilfer usually means stealing small amounts or low-value items.
- filch
- Filch suggests casually or slyly taking something small.