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.
O.E. þeof, from P.Gmc. *theubaz (cf. O.Fris. thiaf, O.S. thiof, M.Du. dief, O.H.G. diob, Ger. dieb, O.N. þiofr, Goth. þiufs), probably from PIE *teup- (cf. Lith. tupeti "to crouch down").
thieve
O.E. þeofian, from þeof (see thief). Rare in O.E., not common until 17c. Thievish "of or pertaining to thieves" is recorded from c.1450; meaning "inclined to steal" is from 1538. Thieving first attested 1530. Thievery is from 1568.