Steal definition
To take (the property of another) without right or permission.
verb
To move, happen, or elapse stealthily or unobtrusively.
He stole away for a quiet moment. The deadline stole up on us.
verb
The act of stealing.
noun
To steal another's property.
verb
To move, put, carry, or convey surreptitiously or stealthily (in, into, from, away, etc.)
verb
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Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery.
verb
To be the outstanding performer in (a scene, act, etc.), esp. in a subordinate role.
verb
To be a thief; practice theft.
verb
(of ideas, words, music, a look, credit, etc) To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.
They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.
verb
(colloquial) To acquire at a low price.
He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.
verb
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(baseball) A stolen base.
noun
To get or take secretly or artfully.
Steal a look at a diary; steal the puck from an opponent.
verb
To give or enjoy (a kiss) that is unexpected or unnoticed.
verb
The definition of a steal is a great bargain or the act of taking goods that don't belong to you.
An example of a steal is an expensive designer bag you get at a garage sale for $2.
noun
To steal is to take something, especially something that does not belong to you or to do something in a quick way, hoping not to be noticed.
An example of steal is when you take someone's wallet.
An example of steal is when you pretend that someone else's ideas or work are your own.
An example of steal is when you give someone a spontaneous kiss when not expected.
An example of steal is when you quickly glance at someone and then look away, hoping not to be noticed.
verb
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To present or use (someone else's words or ideas) as one's own.
verb
To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer.
The magician's assistant stole the show with her comic antics.
verb
(baseball) To steal a base.
verb
(slang) A bargain.
noun
(basketball) An act of gaining possession of the ball from an opponent.
noun
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To take or appropriate (another's property, ideas, etc.) without permission, dishonestly, or unlawfully, esp. in a secret or surreptitious manner.
verb
To get, take, or give slyly, surreptitiously, or without permission.
To steal a look, to steal a kiss.
verb
To take or gain insidiously or artfully.
To steal someone's heart, a defenseman stealing the puck.
verb
(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.
verb
To move, pass, etc. stealthily, quietly, gradually, or without being noticed.
verb
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(baseball) To steal or attempt to steal a base.
verb
An act of stealing.
noun
Something stolen.
noun
Something obtained at a cost so low as to be regarded as excessively favorable to the buyer.
noun
He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.
verb
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To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.
verb
To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.
verb
(baseball) To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, passed ball, wild pitch, or defensive indifference.
verb
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The act of stealing.
noun
A piece of merchandise available at a very attractive price.
At this price, this car is a steal.
noun
(basketball, ice hockey) A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.
noun
(baseball) A stolen base.
noun
(computing) A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs.
noun
(baseball) To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a base hit, walk, passed ball, or wild pitch.
verb
steal (someone's) thunder
- To use, appropriate, or preempt the use of another's idea, especially to one's own advantage and without consent by the originator.
idiom
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Origin of steal
- Middle English stelen from Old English stelan
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan, from Proto-Germanic *stelanÄ… (compare West Frisian stelle, Low German stehlen, Dutch stelen, German stehlen, Danish stjæle, Norwegian stjele), either from Proto-Indo-European *ster- (compare Welsh herw (“theft, raid"), Ancient Greek στερέω (stereō, “to deprive of")) or Proto-Indo-European*stel(H)- (“to stretch") (compare Albanian pë/mbështjell (“I confuse, mess up, mix, wrap up") , Old Church Slavonic [script?] (steljÇ«, “I spread out (bed, roof)"), Ancient Greek τηλία (tÄ“lía, “playing table")).
From Wiktionary