verb

thieve

THEEV/θˈiv/

To take someone else's property without permission.

The adult thieves apples from the stall while the vendor looks away.

A sneaky white adult repeatedly takes small apples from a market stall into a hidden bag while the vendor looks away.

Etymology

Old English þeofian meant “steal” and came from þeof, “thief”: the verb named a thief’s activity. The modern verb may be a later re-formation from thieving.

In context

Storytime Haven182:02

“I do not—I did not steal.” Kim danced in agony like a terrier at a lifted stick. “Oh, give it me. It is my charm. Do not thieve it from me.”

Kim by Rudyard Kipling 📚✨ | A Tale of Adventure and Espionage in India

More examples

Someone has been thieving from the cash register.
He thieved a wallet from an open backpack.
She catches a man thieving tools from her garage.

Forms

thieve · thieves · thieved · thieving

thief noun — A person who steals someone else's property.

theft noun — The act of taking property without permission.

Similar words

steal: The usual word for taking property without permission.
pilfer: Suggests stealing small amounts or items of little value.
rob: Focuses on the person or place stolen from.