theft
/θɛft/ noun
Forms thefts
Synonyms
bargain burglary larceny heist give-away pinching robbery steal stealing thievery five-finger discount midnight requisition moonlight requisition manifest destiny thieving
Etymology
From Middle English theft, thefte, þefte, þefþe, þiefþe, Old English þīefþ, from Proto-West Germanic *þiubīþu, from Proto-Germanic *þiubīþō (“theft”), from *þiubijaną (“to thieve, steal”), equivalent to thieve + -t (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with West Frisian tsjeafte (“theft”), dialectal Dutch diefte (“theft”), obsolete German Diebde (“theft”), Icelandic þýfð (“theft”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of stealing; specifically, the felonious taking and removing of personal property, with an intent to deprive the rightful owner of the same; larceny.
- noun The thing stolen. [R.]
Etymology [OE. thefte, AS. Þiéfthe, Þ\'dffthe, Þeófthe. See Thief.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “theft”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details