Peculate

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Peculate \Pec"u*late\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Peculated}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Peculating}.] [L. peculatus, p. p. of peculari to
     peculate, akin to peculium private property. See {Peculiar}.]
     To appropriate to one's own use the property of the public;
     to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle.
     [1913 Webster]


  
           An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating
           despotism.                               --Burke.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  peculate
       v : appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care)
           fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled
           thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy
           family" [syn: {embezzle}, {defalcate}, {misappropriate},
           {malversate}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  23 Moby Thesaurus words for "peculate":
     abuse, befoul, convert, debase, defalcate, defile, desecrate,
     divert, embezzle, foul, maladminister, misapply, misappropriate,
     misemploy, mishandle, mismanage, misuse, pervert, pilfer, pollute,
     profane, prostitute, violate