thief

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz. Spelling from Northern England, where /eːo/ became [iə] rather than [eː]. (Compare the spelling of deep from Old English deop.)

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: thēf, IPA(key): /θiːf/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /θif/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːf

Noun

thief (plural thieves)

  1. One who carries out a theft.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:thief
  2. One who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence.
  3. (obsolete) A waster in the snuff of a candle.
    • 1640, Joseph Hall, Divine Light:
      But hear you, my Worthy Brethren: do not you, where you see a thief in the candle, call presently for an extinguisher […]

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

thief

  1. (Gower) alternative form of thef

Scots

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Scots theif, thef, from Middle English thef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz.

Noun

thief (plural thiefs or thieves)

  1. A thief (one who steals, especially stealthily).
    • 1983, William Lorimer, transl., The New Testament in Scots, Edinburgh: Canongate, published 2001, →ISBN, →OCLC, John 10:10, page 179:
      "The thíef comesna for ocht but tae steal an fell an destroy: I am come at they may hae life—ay, an rowth, an mair o it!"
      "The thief doesn't come except to steal, kill, and destroy: I have come so they can have life abundantly, and more of it!"
  2. A criminal or villain; a malicious or lawbreaking person.
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