- Stealing
- Steal Steal (st[=e]l), v. t. [imp. {Stole} (st[=o]l); p. p.
{Stolen} (st[=o]"l'n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Stealing}.] [OE.
stelen, AS. stelan; akin to OFries. stela, D. stelen, OHG.
stelan, G. stehlen, Icel. stela, SW. stj["a]la, Dan.
sti[ae]le, Goth. stilan.]
1. To take, and carry away, feloniously; to take without
right or leave, and with intent to keep wrongfully; as, to
steal the personal goods of another.
[1913 Webster]
Maugre thy heed, thou must for indigence Or steal, or beg, or borrow, thy dispense. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
The man who stole a goose and gave away the giblets in alms. --G. Eliot. [1913 Webster]
2. To withdraw or convey clandestinely (reflexive); hence, to creep furtively, or to insinuate. [1913 Webster]
They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
He will steal himself into a man's favor. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. To gain by insinuating arts or covert means. [1913 Webster]
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. --2 Sam. xv. 6. [1913 Webster]
4. To get into one's power gradually and by imperceptible degrees; to take possession of by a gradual and imperceptible appropriation; -- with away. [1913 Webster]
Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind from its steady pursuit of any subject. --I. Watts. [1913 Webster]
5. To accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry out secretly; as, to steal a look. [1913 Webster]
Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, . . . and do not think to steal it. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
{To steal a march}, to march in a covert way; to gain an advantage unobserved; -- formerly followed by of, but now by on or upon, and sometimes by over; as, to steal a march upon one's political rivals. [1913 Webster]
She yesterday wanted to steal a march of poor Liddy. --Smollett. [1913 Webster]
Fifty thousand men can not easily steal a march over the sea. --Walpole. [1913 Webster]
Syn: To filch; pilfer; purloin; thieve. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
