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Added 8 October 2026

thief

/ˈθiːf/ noun

In Latin: fūr, latro Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about thief at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

One who carries out a theft.
One who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence.
A waster in the snuff of a candle.

Origin

From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tjoof (“thief”), West Frisian tsjeaf (“thief”), Dutch dief (“thief”), Low German Deef, Deev (“thief”), German Dieb (“thief”), Danish tyv (“thief”), Swedish tjuv (“thief”), Icelandic þjófur (“thief”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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