Thieves,

3 definitions found

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

  Thief \Thief\ (th[=e]f), n.; pl. {Thieves} (th[=e]vz). [OE.
     thef, theef, AS. [thorn]e['o]f; akin to OFries. thiaf, OS.
     theof, thiof, D. dief, G. dieb, OHG. diob, Icel.
     [thorn]j[=o]fr, Sw. tjuf, Dan. tyv, Goth. [thorn]iufs,
     [thorn]iubs, and perhaps to Lith. tupeti to squat or crouch
     down. Cf. {Theft}.]


     1. One who steals; one who commits theft or larceny. See
        {Theft}.
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              There came a privy thief, men clepeth death.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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              Where thieves break through and steal. --Matt. vi.
                                                    19.
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     2. A waster in the snuff of a candle. --Bp. Hall.
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     {Thief catcher}. Same as {Thief taker}.
  
     {Thief leader}, one who leads or takes away a thief.
        --L'Estrange.
  
     {Thief taker}, one whose business is to find and capture
        thieves and bring them to justice.
  
     {Thief tube}, a tube for withdrawing a sample of a liquid
        from a cask.
  
     {Thieves' vinegar}, a kind of aromatic vinegar for the sick
        room, taking its name from the story that thieves, by
        using it, were enabled to plunder, with impunity to
        health, in the great plague at London. [Eng.]
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     Syn: Robber; pilferer.
  
     Usage: {Thief}, {Robber}. A thief takes our property by
            stealth; a robber attacks us openly, and strips us by
            main force.
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                  Take heed, have open eye, for thieves do foot by
                  night.                            --Shak.
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                  Some roving robber calling to his fellows.
                                                    --Milton.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  thief
       n : a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with
           the intention of keeping it or selling it [syn: {stealer}]
       [also: {thieves} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  thieves
       See {thief}