4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Steal  \Steal\,  v.  t.  [imp.  {Stole};  p.  p.  {Stolen};  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. 
 
  Maugre  thy  heed,  thou  must  for  indigence  Or  steal, 
  or  borrow,  thy  dispense.  --Chaucer. 
 
  The  man  who  stole  a  goose  and  gave  away  the  giblets 
  in  ?lms.  --G.  Eliot. 
 
  2.  To  withdraw  or  convey  clandestinely  (reflexive);  hence  to 
  creep  furtively,  or  to  insinuate. 
 
  They  could  insinuate  and  steal  themselves  under  the 
  same  by  their  humble  carriage  and  submission. 
  --Spenser. 
 
  He  will  steal  himself  into  a  man's  favor.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  To  gain  by  insinuating  arts  or  covert  means 
 
  So  Absalom  stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel. 
  --2  Sam.  xv 
  6. 
 
  4.  To  get  into  one's  power  gradually  and  by  imperceptible 
  degrees;  to  take  possession  of  by  a  gradual  and 
  imperceptible  appropriation;  --  with  away 
 
  Variety  of  objects  has  a  tendency  to  steal  away  the 
  mind  from  its  steady  pursuit  of  any  subject.  --I. 
  Watts. 
 
  5.  To  accomplish  in  a  concealed  or  unobserved  manner;  to  try 
  to  carry  out  secretly;  as  to  steal  a  look 
 
  Always  when  thou  changest  thine  opinion  or  course, 
  profess  it  plainly,  .  .  .  and  do  not  think  to  steal 
  it  --Bacon. 
 
  {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. 
 
  She  yesterday  wanted  to  steal  a  march  of  poor  Liddy. 
  --Smollett. 
 
  Fifty  thousand  men  can  not  easily  steal  a  march  over 
  the  sea.  --Walpole. 
 
  Syn:  To  filch;  pilfer;  purloin;  thieve. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Stealing  \Steal"ing\,  n. 
  1.  The  act  of  taking  feloniously  the  personal  property  of 
  another  without  his  consent  and  knowledge;  theft;  larceny. 
 
  2.  That  which  is  stolen;  stolen  property;  --  chiefly  used  in 
  the  plural. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  stealing 
  n  1:  the  act  of  stealing;  "the  thieving  is  awful  at  Kennedy 
  International"  [syn:  {larceny},  {theft},  {thievery},  {thieving}] 
  2:  avoiding  detection  by  moving  carefully  [syn:  {stealth}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Stealing 
  See  {THEFT}. 
 

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