8 results for: Furtive

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

fur·tive

Audio Help [fur-tiv] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance.

2.	sly; shifty: a furtive manner.

[Origin: 1480–90; < L furtīvus, equiv. to furt(um) theft (cf. fūr thief) + -īvus -ive

]

—Related forms

fur·tive·ly, adverb

fur·tive·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. clandestine, covert. 2. underhand, cunning.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Furtive

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fur·tive Audio Help (fûr'tĭv) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty. See Synonyms at secret.

[French furtif, from Old French, from Latin fūrtīvus, from fūrtum, theft, from fūr, thief; see bher-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

fur'tive·ly adv., fur'tive·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
furtive

1490 (implied in furtively), from Fr. furtif, from L. furtivus "stolen, hidden, secret," from furtum "theft, robbery," from fur (gen. furis) "thief."

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

furtive
adjective
1.	marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a surreptitious glance at his watch"
2.	secret and sly or sordid; "backstairs gossip"; "his low backstairs cunning"- A.L.Guerard; "backstairs intimacies"; "furtive behavior" [syn: backstair]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
furtive [ˈfəːtiv] adjective

secretive; avoiding attention
Example: a furtive action/look

Arabic:	خَفي، ماكِر
Chinese (Simplified):	偷偷摸摸的,鬼鬼祟祟的
Chinese (Traditional):	偷偷摸摸的,鬼鬼祟祟的
Czech:	tajný; kradmý
Danish:	fordækt
Dutch:	heimelijk
Estonian:	salajane, varglik
Finnish:	salavihkainen
French:	furtif
German:	verstohlen
Greek:	κρυφός
Hungarian:	titkos
Icelandic:	laumulegur
Indonesian:	diam-diam
Italian:	furtivo

Japanese:	こそこそした
Korean:	은밀한
Latvian:	slepens; zaglīgs
Lithuanian:	slaptas
Norwegian:	hemmelighetsfull, stjålen, fordekt
Polish:	ukradkowy, potajemny
Portuguese (Brazil):	furtivo
Portuguese (Portugal):	furtivo
Romanian:	(pe) furiş
Russian:	незаметный
Slovak:	tajný; kradmý, nezbadaný
Slovenian:	skriven, bežen
Spanish:	furtivo
Swedish:	förstulen
Turkish:	kaçamak, hırsızlama

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Furtive

Fer"ret\, n. [F. furet, cf. LL. furo; prob. fr. L. fur thief (cf. Furtive); cf. Arm. fur wise, sly.] (Zo["o]l.) An animal of the Weasel family (Mustela or Putorius furo), about fourteen inches in length, of a pale yellow or white color, with red eyes. It is a native of Africa, but has been domesticated in Europe. Ferrets are used to drive rabbits and rats out of their holes.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Furtive

Fur"tive\, a. [L. furtivus, fr. furtum theft, fr. fur thief, akin to ferre to bear: cf. F. furtif. See Fertile.] Stolen; obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret; stealthy; as, a furtive look. --Prior.

A hasty and furtive ceremony. --Hallam.

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