steal /ˈsti(ə)l/
 (vt.)偷,巧取,侵占,偷偷地做(vi.)偷東西,溜偷竊
 steal /ˈstɪl/ 名詞
 側支迂迴
 Steal n.  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.
 Steal v. t. [imp. Stole p. p. Stolen p. pr. & vb. n. Stealing.]
 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 beg, or borrow, thy dispense.   --Chaucer.
    The man who stole a goose and gave away the giblets in alms.   --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.
 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.
    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.
 ◄ ►
 Stale n.  The stock or handle of anything; as, the stale of a rake. [Written also steal, stele, etc.]
 But seeing the arrow's stale without, and that the head did go
 No further than it might be seen.   --Chapman.
 steal
      n 1: an advantageous purchase; "she got a bargain at the
           auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price" [syn:
            bargain, buy]
      2: a stolen base; an instance in which a base runner advances
         safely during the delivery of a pitch (without the help of
         a hit or walk or passed ball or wild pitch)
      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
      4: to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around
         spying on the neighbor's house" [syn: sneak, mouse, creep,
          pussyfoot]
      [also: stolen, stole]