thief

A thief is a person who steals or takes things from other people. There are many different kinds of thieves.

A thief who breaks into your house and steals your things is called a burglar.
A thief who steals from you in person while using a knife or a gun is a robber or a mugger.
A bank robber is a thief who steals from banks.
A thief who threatens you to "pay up or else" is called an extortionist.
An embezzler is a thief who steals money from his or her own company.
A hacker is a thief who breaks into a computer network.
A pickpocket is a thief who steals things from your pockets.
A thief who is well-organized and makes a business of crime is called a gangster.
Most thieves eventually wind up in jail.

Note: The plural form for thief is thieves.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

Published October 26, 2015