thief
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++thief /θiːf/ ●●○ noun (plural thieves /θiːvz/) [countable] SCCSTEALsomeone who steals things from another person or place 小偷，贼 → theft, burglar, robber Thieves broke into the offices and stole some computer equipment. 小偷破门进入办公室，偷走了价值15万美元的电脑设备。a car/jewel etc thief 汽车/珠宝等窃贼 They were nothing but petty thieves (=thieves who steal small things). 他们只不过是小毛贼。 → be (as) thick as thieves at thick1(12) THESAURUSthief someone who steals things from a person or place 小偷The thief grabbed her handbag and ran off down the street. 小偷抓过她的包沿街逃之夭夭。Car thieves are operating in this area. 偷车贼在这一地区作案。burglar someone who goes into houses, offices etc to steal things 〔入室偷窃的〕窃贼Burglars broke into the house and took a computer worth £1,000. 窃贼闯进屋子，偷走了一台价值1,000英镑的电脑。nPolice believe the burglar got in through the kitchen window.robber someone who steals from banks, offices, houses etc, especially using threats or violence 强盗，抢劫者a gang of bank robbers 一伙银行劫匪an armed robber (=a robber with a gun) 武装劫匪shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them, especially by hiding them in their clothes or in a bag 商店窃贼The store has installed hidden cameras to catch shoplifters. 店铺安装了隐形摄像头来抓捕窃贼。pickpocket someone who steals from people’s pockets, especially in a crowded public place 扒手Look out for pickpockets in busy tourist areas. 在热闹的旅游区要小心扒手。mugger a thief who violently attacks someone in the street and robs them 行凶抢劫犯 The mugger punched him in the face and tried to steal his wallet. 那个行凶抢劫犯一拳打在他脸上，要抢他钱包。joyrider someone who steals a car and drives it very fast for fun 偷车兜风贼Police pursued the teenage joyriders across three counties. 警察跑了三个县追捕偷车兜风的少年。looter someone who breaks into shops or homes and steals things, after there has been a natural disaster, a war, or a violent protest 〔趁着天灾、战争或暴动抢掠的〕趁乱打劫者Police chiefs have warned that looters will be shot. 警察局长警告说趁火打劫者将被击毙。bandit a member of an armed group of thieves who travel around attacking people in country areas 土匪The village was attacked by a gang of bandits. 村庄遭到一伙土匪袭击。poacher someone who hunts animals, birds etc illegally on other people’s land 偷猎者Their job is to prevent poachers from killing the elephants. 他们的工作是防止偷猎者猎杀大象。
Examples from the Corpus
thief• Thieves took a marble statue from the church sometime last night.• She accused me of being a thief and a liar.• But the Colonel was more than a thief of funds.• a car thief• Warning! Car thieves are operating in this area.• Elle Folk are great thieves of dough and other food, and are strange-looking indeed.• Unfortunately, most would probably become the fiefs of thieves and warlords.• These were the zeks - they might be killers or thieves or rapists or parasites or hooligans.• Colin Fountain says they've taken measures to stop thieves getting in.• All I could think was how brave the thief was, or how desperate.• In most cases the thieves targeted cars which had been left with bags or other valuables clearly visible.• The thieves had been careful not to leave any fingerprints.• Well, all archaeologists were thieves, of a sort.petty thieves• Habitual petty thieves and drug addicts dumped on top of their already bulging caseload become their newest clients.• Most burglaries are the work of petty thieves on the look our for an easy opportunity.Origin thief Old English theofthief noun →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
things or person steals Corpus from another who someone
thief
thief /θiːf/
noun (plural thieves /θiːvz/) [countable]
Thieves broke into the offices and stole $150,000's worth of computer equipment.
a car/jewel etc thief
They were nothing but petty thieves (=thieves who steal small things).
⇨ be (as) thick as thieves at thick1(12)
▪ thief someone who steals things from a person or place: The thief grabbed her handbag and ran off down the street. | Car thieves are operating in this area.
▪burglar someone who goes into houses, offices etc to steal things: Burglars broke into the house and took a computer worth £1,000. | Police believe the burglar got in through the kitchen window.
▪robber someone who steals from banks, offices, houses etc, especially using threats or violence: a gang of bank robbers | an armed robber (=a robber with a gun)
▪shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them, especially by hiding them in their clothes or in a bag: The store has installed hidden cameras to catch shoplifters.
▪pickpocket someone who steals from people’s pockets, especially in a crowded public place: Look out for pickpockets in busy tourist areas.
▪mugger a thief who violently attacks someone in the street and robs them: The mugger punched him in the face and tried to steal his wallet.
▪joyrider someone who steals a car and drives it very fast for fun: Police pursued the teenage joyriders across three counties.
▪looter someone who breaks into shops or homes and steals things, after there has been a natural disaster, a war, or a violent protest: Police chiefs have warned that looters will be shot.
▪bandit a member of an armed group of thieves who travel around attacking people in country areas : The village was attacked by a gang of bandits.
▪poacher someone who hunts animals, birds etc illegally on other people’s land: Their job is to prevent poachers from killing the elephants.
thief /θiːf/
noun (plural thieves /θiːvz/) [countable] Language: Old English
Origin: theof
someone who steals things from another person or place ⇨ theft, burglar, robber:Origin: theof
a car/jewel etc thief
⇨ be (as) thick as thieves at thick1(12)
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Committing a crime 犯罪
commit a crime/a murder/a violent assault/a brutal killing/an armed robbery/fraud犯罪／谋杀罪／暴力侵犯他人身体罪／残杀罪／持械抢劫罪／诈骗罪 be involved in terrorism/a suspected arson attack/people smuggling/human trafficking参与恐怖主义活动；涉嫌纵火袭击；参与人口走私／人口贩卖 engage/participate in criminal activity/illegal practices/acts of mindless vandalism参与犯罪活动／非法活动／愚昧的故意毁坏他人财产的行为 steal sb's wallet/purse/( mobile phone/BrE ( cell phoneNAmE 偷某人的钱包／手机 rob a bank/a person/a tourist抢劫银行／他人／游客 break into/ ( BrE burgle/ ( NAmE burglarize a house/a home/an apartment入室盗窃 hijack a plane/ship/bus劫持飞机／轮船／公共汽车 smuggle drugs/weapons/arms/immigrants走私毒品／武器／军火；偷运移民 launder drug money (through sth)（通过…）洗毒资 forge documents/certificates/passports伪造文件／证件／护照 take/accept/pay sb/offer (sb) a bribe索取／收受贿赂；向（某人）行贿 run a phishing/an email/an Internet scam进行网络钓鱼／电子邮件／互联网诈骗
Fighting crime 打击犯罪
combat/fight crime/terrorism/corruption/drug trafficking打击犯罪／恐怖主义／腐败／贩毒 prevent/stop credit-card fraud/child abuse/software piracy防止／阻止信用卡诈骗／虐待儿童／软件盗版 deter/stop criminals/burglars/thieves/shoplifters/vandals威慑／阻止犯罪分子／入室盗窃者／小偷／商店扒手／故意破坏公物者 reduce/tackle/crack down on knife/gun/violent/street crime/( antisocial behaviourespecially
BrE 减少／处理／严厉打击持刀／持枪／暴力／街头犯罪／反社会行为 foil a bank raid/a terrorist plot挫败一起银行抢劫案／一次恐怖分子的阴谋 help/support/protect the victims of crime帮助／支持／保护犯罪活动的受害者
Investigating crime 调查犯罪活动
report a crime/a theft/a rape/an attack/( an incident to the policeespecially
BrE 向警方举报不法行为／偷窃案／强奸案／袭击事件／暴力事件 witness the crime/attack/murder/incident目击犯罪／袭击／谋杀／暴力事件 investigate a murder/( a homicide/a burglary/a robbery/the alleged incidentespecially
NAmE 调查谋杀案／蓄意杀人案／入室盗窃案／抢劫案／涉嫌的暴力事件 conduct/launch/pursue an investigation (into…)/( a police/murder inquiryespecially
BrE 进行／开始／继续（对…的）调查／警方调查／谋杀案调查 investigate/reopen a criminal/murder case调查／重新审理犯罪／谋杀案件 examine/investigate/find fingerprints at the crime scene/the scene of crime仔细检查／调查／查找犯罪现场的指纹 collect/gather forensic evidence收集法医证据 uncover new evidence/a fraud/a scam/a plot/a conspiracy/political corruption/a cache of weapons发现新证据／诈骗／欺诈／密谋／阴谋／政治腐败／私藏武器 describe/identify a suspect/the culprit/the perpetrator/the assailant/the attacker描述／指认嫌疑犯／罪犯／作恶者／攻击者／袭击者 question/interrogate a suspect/witness询问嫌疑人／目击证人 solve/crack the case破案
