steal

/ˈstēl/

Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan; akin to Old High German stelan to steal

verb

  1. to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice

  2. to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly

  3. to steal or attempt to steal a base

steal pilfer filch purloin mean to take from another without right or without detection. steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things. pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts.

noun

  1. the act or an instance of stealing

  2. a fraudulent or questionable political deal

  3. bargain