steal
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: stēl
ipa: /stiːl/
homophone: steel
homophone: stele
rhymes: -iːl
Forms: form: steals
form: stealing
form: stole
form: stolen
form: stole
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: steal
form: steal
form: stole
form: steal
form: stealest
form: stole
form: stolest
form: steals
form: stealeth
form: stole
form: steal
form: stole
form: steal
form: stole
form: steal
form: -
form: stealing
form: stolen
form: stole
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *stelaną
Proto-West Germanic *stelan
Old English stelan
Middle English stelen
English steal
Inherited from Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan, from Proto-West Germanic *stelan, from Proto-Germanic *stelaną.
Cognate with Bavarian stöhn (“to steal”), Dutch stelen (“to steal”), German, Low German stehlen (“to steal”), Luxembourgish stielen (“to steal”), Danish stjæle (“to steal”), Faroese stjala (“to steal”), Icelandic stela (“to steal”), Norwegian Bokmål stjele (“to steal”), Norwegian Nynorsk stela, stele (“to steal”), Swedish stjäla (“to steal”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽 (stilan, “to steal”). For the meaning development compare with Russian красть (krastʹ, “to steal”) and Russian кра́сться (krástʹsja, “to stalk, to prowl, to slink”).
etymology notes
Proposed etymologies beyond Germanic are numerous and include
* Proto-Indo-European *ster-: compare Welsh herw (“theft, raid”), Ancient Greek στερέω (steréō, “to deprive of”)
* Proto-Indo-European *stel(H)- (“to stretch”): compare Albanian pë/mbështjell (“I confuse, mess up, mix, wrap up”), Old Church Slavonic стєлѭ (steljǫ, “I spread out (bed, roof)”), Ancient Greek τηλία (tēlía, “playing table”)
* Proto-Indo-European *tsel- (“to sneak”): compare Sanskrit त्सरति (tsárati, “creep, sneak up on”) and other forms under Pokorny 5. *sel- "schleichen, kriechen"
Senses: examples: text: Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery.
text: The problem is the two bicycles stolen from us.
text: They stole all my money (from me).
text: At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went down ſtairs, naked to her ſhift as ſhe was, with a deſign to ſteal them[…].
ref: 1762, Charles Johnstone, The Reverie; or, A Flight to the Paradise of Fools, volume 2, Dublin: Printed by Dillon Chamberlaine, →OCLC, page 202:
text: "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."
ref: 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC:
text: Laura snatches coins from inside a truck to make a telephone call, scrounges shoes and clothes for them at a municipal beach, schemes to get a room key so she and Howie can sleep overnight in the Starlight Motel, steals a Jeepster from a deputy sheriff who's trying to arrest them.
ref: 1987 November 8, Ron Hansen, “CHILDREN'S BOOKS; DISCOVERING THE OPPOSITE SEX”, in The New York Times:
text: But lawksamercy! While she is here, her youngest is, by pure chance, stolen away by a heroin addict who sells children for adoption by lustful Arabs.
ref: 1996, Francis Wheen, Lord Gnome's Literary Companion, page 74:
text: Admitting to stealing the vegetables, Mohammed said, “Boss ah tief the thing, but not me alone.” The bhaigans were valued $100.
ref: 2015 February 7, Azard Ali, “Mother put on a bond for stealing bhaigans”, in Trinidad and Tobago Newsday:
glosses: To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
examples: text: They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
qualifier: words; a look; credit; words; a look; credit
glosses: To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.
raw_tags: of ideas
examples: text: He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.
text: Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind too often from its steady pursuit of any subject.
ref: 1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:
text: Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly,[…]and do not think to steal it.
ref: 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Great Place”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
glosses: To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.
examples: text: He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.
text: He got that car for two grand under book? Wow, he stole that thing!
glosses: To acquire at a low price.
glosses: To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.
examples: text: He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.
text: At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went down ſtairs, naked to her ſhift as ſhe was, with a deſign to ſteal them[…].
ref: 1762, Charles Johnstone, The Reverie; or, A Flight to the Paradise of Fools, volume 2, Dublin: Printed by Dillon Chamberlaine, →OCLC, page 202:
text: "Did he take his bottle well?" Mrs. Flanders whispered, and Rebecca nodded and went to the cot and turned down the quilt, and Mrs. Flanders bent over and looked anxiously at the baby, asleep, but frowning. The window shook, and Rebecca stole like a cat and wedged it.
ref: 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:
text: A kind of tense peace, like the centre of a cyclone, descended. Not for long, of course, for already stealing upon one's hearing would be the staccato bark and thrust of the banker bringing up the rear.
ref: 1953 December, Henry Maxwell, “The Folkestone Harbour Branch: Some Evocations”, in Railway Magazine, page 809:
text: When night had fallen, the she-demon stole forth toward the hall, which she entered unheard and unseen.
ref: 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 33:
text: United's hopes of mounting a serious response suffered a blow within two minutes of the restart when Evans, who had endured a miserable afternoon, lost concentration and allowed Balotelli to steal in behind him. The defender's only reaction was to haul the Italian down, resulting in an inevitable red card.
ref: 2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1-6 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: To move silently or secretly.
examples: text: The fact that European Cuckoos steal their eggs into the nests of other birds has been generally known for more than a thousand years.
ref: 1948, Alec H. Chisholm, Bird Wonders of Australia, page 41:
glosses: To convey (something) clandestinely.
examples: text: They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission.
ref: 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:
text: He will steal himself into a man's favour.
ref: c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi]:
glosses: To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, passed ball, wild pitch, or defensive indifference.
examples: text: However, until Gardner stole the ball from Dean Whitehead in the centre circle with the half-hour approaching, setting off on a run which culminated with a testing long-range shot - with debutant Obafemi Martins lurking, Begovic gathered at the second time of asking - Stoke looked the more credible contenders to break the deadlock.
ref: 2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1-0 Stoke”, in BBC:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To dispossess
examples: text: Can I steal your pen?
glosses: To borrow for a short moment.
glosses: To take or retell someone else’s joke; to use a clever phrase or expression from someone else in one's own speaking or writing.
Synonyms: sense: to secretly move
word: sneak
word: steal
word: abduct
word: abstract
word: appropriate
word: bag
word: bandit
word: bash and grab
word: bone
word: boost
word: burgle
word: burglarize
word: borrow
word: cheat
word: chore
word: commandeer
word: confiscate
word: convert
word: cop
word: cozen
word: crib
word: embezzle
word: filch
word: fleece
word: flog
word: gaffle
word: gilravage
word: half-inch
word: heave
word: heist
word: jack
word: kidnap
word: knock off
word: kipe
word: kyper
word: liberate
word: lift
word: loot
word: make off with
word: mill
word: misappropriate
word: mooch
word: moonlight requisition
word: nick
word: nip
word: own
word: peculate
word: pickpocket
word: pilfer
word: pinch
word: pillage
word: pirate
word: plunder
word: poach
word: pocket
word: prig
word: purloin
word: raid
word: relieve
word: rape
word: ransack
word: reave
word: rip
word: rip off
word: rob
word: run off with
word: snag
word: snatch
word: sniggle
word: snitch
word: swindle
word: swipe
word: thieve
word: walk off with
Hypernyms: word: acquire
word: take
Hyponyms: word: dacoit
word: expropriate
word: fly the blue pigeon
word: nationalize
word: shoplift
word: twoc
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: besteal
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: close the stable door after the horse has been stolen
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: don't teach your grandmother to steal sheep
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: double steal
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: forsteal
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: kill steal
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: shop steal
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal a glance
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal a kiss
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal a march
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: stealection
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal someone's heart
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal someone's identity
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal someone's soul
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal someone's thunder
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal the bacon
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal the scene
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: scene stealing
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: scene-stealing
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: steal the show
sense: Terms derived from steal (verb)
word: subclavian steal syndrome
Related terms: word: stealth
word: bilk
word: burglarize
word: burgle
word: confiscate
word: pickpocket
word: pilfer
word: steal away
word: booty
word: hot
word: make off
word: sticky fingers
word: theft
word: thief