THIEF

[noun] [C] [plural] thieves - a person who stealsShoplifters are thieves and will be prosecuted.A post office was broken into last night, and the thieves got away with £120 000.See also theft.(saying) 'Like a thief in the night' means secretly or unexpectedly and without being seen.(saying) 'It takes a thief to catch a thief' or 'Set a thief to catch a thief' means that one dishonest person can guess what another dishonest person might do.