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To pluck; to snatch; to steal. [Slang, U.S.]

The act of stealing; specifically, the felonious taking and removing of personal property, with an intent to deprive the rightful owner of the same; larceny.

One who steals; one who commits theft or larceny. See Theft. There came a privy thief, men clepeth death. Chaucer. Where thieves break through and steal. Matt. vi. 19.

To practice theft; to steal.

The practice of stealing; theft; thievishness. Among the Spartans, thievery was a practice morally good and honest. South.

Given to stealing; addicted to theft; as, a thievish boy, a thievish magpie.

One of an association of robbers and murderers in India who practiced murder by stealthy approaches, and from religious motives. They have been nearly exterminated by the British government.

The practice of secret or stealthy murder by Thugs. "One of the suppressors of Thuggee." J. D. Hooker.

Noiseless; stealthy. "With tiptoe step." Cowper. Tiptoe mirth, the highest degree of mirth. Sir W. Scott.

To take toll; to raise a tax. [R.] Well could he [the miller] steal corn and toll thrice. Chaucer. No Italian priest Shall tithe or toll in our dominions. Shak.

e pass On his transgression, death denounced that day Milton. The transgression is in the stealer. Shak.

That which is worthless or useless; rubbish; refuse. Who steals my purse steals trash. Shak. A haunch of venison would be trash to a Brahmin. Landor.

To take or steal from a hoard; to pilfer. Milton.

Using; accustomed. [Obs.] "Usant for to steal." Chaucer.

also soft grass. -- Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; -- so called from its quiet, stealthy manner of running. [Prov. Eng.] -- Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. -- Velvet sponge. (Zoöl.) See under Sponge.

ween the skin and the bone, but is usually applied to a felon or inflammation of the periosteal structures of the bone.