ˈthēf noun
( plural thieves -ēvz)
Etymology: Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiubs thief, Lithuanian tupėti to squat, crouch
1.
a. : one who steals especially stealthily or secretly : one who commits theft or larceny
b. archaic : freebooter , robber
c. dialect Britain : scoundrel , rascal , scamp
2. : something that takes possession by stealth
procrastination is the thief of time
3. also thief tube : a device for taking a sample especially of a liquid from a receptacle at any specified depth below the surface