I. ˈstelth also -ltth noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English stalthe, stelthe; akin to Old English stelan to steal
1.
a. archaic : the act or an instance of stealing : theft
ingratitude makes it worse than stealth — Shakespeare
b. obsolete : something that is stolen : booty
pursue the stealth of pilfering wolf — John Milton
2. : the act or action of going or passing furtively, secretly, or imperceptibly
told him of your stealth unto this wood — Shakespeare
the realization of it was creeping through her veins with the deadly stealth of a drug — J.C.Snaith
with the stealth of years … she had lost a little bloom — Francis Hackett
3. : furtiveness , slyness
equaled this great wood-cat in stealth , and far surpassed it in cunning and ferocity — Theodore Roosevelt
•
- by stealth
II. noun
Usage: often attributive
: an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return
III. adjective
Etymology: stealth , noun
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy
a stealth campaign