THIEF


Meaning of THIEF in English

thief /θiːf/ BrE AmE noun ( plural thieves /θiːvz/) [countable]

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: theof ]

someone who steals things from another person or place ⇨ theft , burglar , robber :

Thieves broke into the offices and stole $150,000's worth of computer equipment.

a car/jewel etc thief

They were nothing but petty thieves (=thieves who steal small things) .

⇨ be (as) thick as thieves at ↑ thick 1 (12)

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THESAURUS

▪ thief someone who steals things from a person or place:

The thief grabbed her handbag and ran off down the street.

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Car thieves are operating in this area.

▪ burglar someone who goes into houses, offices etc to steal things:

Burglars broke into the house and took a computer worth £1,000.

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Police believe the burglar got in through the kitchen window.

▪ robber someone who steals from banks, offices, houses etc, especially using threats or violence:

a gang of bank robbers

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an armed robber (=a robber with a gun)

▪ shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them, especially by hiding them in their clothes or in a bag:

The store has installed hidden cameras to catch shoplifters.

▪ pickpocket someone who steals from people’s pockets, especially in a crowded public place:

Look out for pickpockets in busy tourist areas.

▪ mugger a thief who violently attacks someone in the street and robs them:

The mugger punched him in the face and tried to steal his wallet.

▪ joyrider someone who steals a car and drives it very fast for fun:

Police pursued the teenage joyriders across three counties.

▪ looter someone who breaks into shops or homes and steals things, after there has been a natural disaster, a war, or a violent protest:

Police chiefs have warned that looters will be shot.

▪ bandit a member of an armed group of thieves who travel around attacking people in country areas :

The village was attacked by a gang of bandits.

▪ poacher someone who hunts animals, birds etc illegally on other people’s land:

Their job is to prevent poachers from killing the elephants.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.