a person who steals, esp. secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.
Origin: bef. 900; ME; OE thēof; c. D dief, G Dieb, ON thjōfr, Goth thiufs
Synonyms: burglar, pickpocket, highwayman. Thief,robber refer to one who steals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealth without the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, and makes away with things of value, even at the cost of violence: A robber held up two women on the street.
[theef] 
