Link Centre Dictionary

thief

UK/ˈθiːf/ US/ˈθɪi̯f/ common

noun

1.

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tjoof (“thief”), West Frisian tsjeaf (“thief”), Dutch dief (“thief”), Low German Deef, Deev (“thief”), German Dieb (“thief”), Danish tyv (“thief”), Swedish tjuv (“thief”), Icelandic þjófur (“thief”).

Phrases

  • a fair booty makes many a thief
  • comparison is the thief of joy
  • cricket thief spider
  • horse thief
  • joke thief
  • joule thief
  • liquor thief
  • opportunity makes a thief

Related words

Word family

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.