pickpocket

C2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈpɪkˌpɑːkət/ UK /ˈpɪkˌpɒkɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #20902

Meanings

1

noun
a thief who secretly steals from people's pockets or bags in public places

A pickpocket took his wallet while he was boarding the crowded train.
2

verb
to steal something secretly from a person's pocket or bag

She realized that someone had pickpocketed her in the market.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a thief who secretly steals... pocket thiefcutpurse

2 verb · to steal something secretly... steal frompilfer from

Word family

Derived forms pickpocketing

Related forms theft steal pilfer thief

Etymology

Formed from pick in the older sense "steal or take dexterously" + pocket. The compound first named the thief and later also developed a verb for the act.

Topics

People & Society

External links

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