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.
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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]