transitive verb stole, stolen stol′en, stealing steal′·ing

1. to take or appropriate (another's property, ideas, etc.) without permission, dishonestly, or unlawfully, esp. in a secret or surreptitious manner
2. to get, take, or give slyly, surreptitiously, or without permission to steal a look, to steal a kiss
3. to take or gain insidiously or artfully to steal someone's heart, to steal the puck in hockey
4. to be the outstanding performer in (a scene, act, etc.), esp. in a subordinate role
5. to move, put, carry, or convey surreptitiously or stealthily (in, into, from, away, etc.)
6. ☆ Baseball to gain (a base) safely without the help of a hit, walk, or error, usually by running to it from another base while the pitch is being delivered

Etymology: ME stelen < OE stælan, akin to Ger stehlen, prob. altered < IE base *ster-, to rob > Gr sterein, to rob

intransitive verb

1. to be a thief; practice theft
2. to move, pass, etc. stealthily, quietly, gradually, or without being noticed
3. Baseball to steal or attempt to steal a base

noun

1. an act of stealing
2. something stolen
3. something obtained at a ludicrously low cost