theft

Etymology

From Middle English theft, thefte, þefte, þefþe, þiefþe, Old English þīefþ, from Proto-West Germanic *þiubiþu, from Proto-Germanic *þiubiþō, from *þeubaz (“thief”), equivalent to thief + -th or thieve + -th. Cognate with Old Frisian thiuvethe, thiufthe (“theft”), dialectal Dutch diefte (“theft”), obsolete German Diebde (“theft”), Icelandic þýfð (“theft”).

noun

  1. The act of stealing property.
    bike theft is on the rise
    A suspect was arrested for the theft of a gold necklace.
    If you steal a candy bar, you are guilty of theft, regardless of the value. July 5, 2007, Charles Hugh Smith, When Lies Become Normal, Is Truth Dead or Just in Hiding?

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