steal

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.

   Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery.

2. 2
   verb

   To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.

   They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.

3. 3
   verb

   To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.

   He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.

4. 4
   verb

   To acquire at a low price.

   He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.

5. 5
   verb

   To move silently or secretly.

   He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.

6. 6
   verb

   To convey (something) clandestinely.

   The fact that European Cuckoos steal their eggs into the nests of other birds has been generally known for more than a thousand years.

7. 7
   verb

   To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.

   They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission.

8. 8
   verb

   To dispossess

   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.

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…