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steal |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Steal \Steal\, n. [See {Stale} a handle.] A handle; a stale, or stele. [Archaic or Prov. Eng.] And in his hand a huge poleax did bear. Whose steale was iron-studded but not long. --Spenser. 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]: Steal \Steal\, v. i. 1. To practice, or be guilty of theft; to commit larceny or theft. Thou shalt not steal. --Ex. xx 15. 2. To withdraw, or pass privily; to slip in along or away unperceived; to go or come furtively. --Chaucer. Fixed of mind to avoid further entreaty, and to fly all company, one night she stole away --Sir P. Sidney. From whom you now must steal, and take no leave --Shak. A soft and solemn breathing sound Rose like a steam of rich, distilled perfumes, And stole upon the air. --Milton. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Stale \Stale\, n. [OE. stale, stele, AS st[ae]l, stel; akin to LG & D. steel, G. stiel; cf L. stilus stake, stalk, stem, Gr ? a handle, and E. stall, stalk, n.] The stock or handle of anything as the stale of a rake. [Written also {steal}, {stele}, etc.] But seeling the arrow's stale without and that the head did go No further than it might be seen. --Chapman. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: steal n : an advantageous purchase; "she got a bargain at the auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price" [syn: {bargain}, {buy}] v 1: take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation" 2: move stealthily; "The ship slipped away in the darkness" [syn: {slip}] 3: steal a base, in baseball 4: to go stealthily or furtively: "..stead of sneaking around spying on the Dronk house''." [syn: {sneak}, {mouse}, {creep}, {pussyfoot}]
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