Definitions for steal
stilsteal

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. bargain, buy, stealnoun

   an advantageous purchase

   "she got a bargain at the auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price"

2. stealverb

   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)

3. stealverb

   take without the owner's consent

   "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"

4. steal, slipverb

   move stealthily

   "The ship slipped away in the darkness"

5. stealverb

   steal a base

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. stealnoun

   The act of stealing.

2. stealnoun

   A piece of merchandise available at a very attractive price.

   At this price, this car is a steal.

3. stealnoun

   A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.

4. stealnoun

   A stolen base.

5. stealnoun

   Scoring in an end without the hammer.

6. stealnoun

   A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs

7. stealverb

   To illegally, or without the owner's permission, take possession of something by surreptitiously taking or carrying it away.

8. stealverb

   To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.

9. stealverb

   To copy copyright-protected work without permission.

10. stealverb

    To acquire at a low price.

    He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.

11. stealverb

    To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.

12. stealverb

    To move silently or secretly.

    He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.

13. stealverb

    To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, passed ball, wild pitch, or defensive indifference.

14. stealverb

    To dispossess

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To STEALverb

   Preterite I stole, part. pass stolen.

   Etymology: stelan , Saxon; stelen, Dutch.

   1. To take by theft; to take clandestinely; to take without right. To steal generally implies secrecy, to rob, either secrecy or violence.

   Thou ran’st a tilt in honour of my love,
   And stol’st away the ladies hearts of France. William Shakespeare.

   There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,
   That steal the colour from Bassanio’s cheek;
   Some dear friend dead. William Shakespeare, Merch. of Venice.

   How should we steal silver or gold? Gen. xliv. 8.

   A schoolboy finding a bird’s nest, shews it his companion and he steals it. William Shakespeare.

   2. To withdraw or convey without notice.

   The law of England never was properly applied to the Irish, by a purposed plot of government, but as they could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission. Edmund Spenser.

   Let us shift away, there’s warrant in that theft
   Which steals itself when there’s no mercy left. William Shakespeare.

   Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind from its steady pursuit of any subject. Isaac Watts.

   3. To gain or effect by private means.

   Young Lorenzo
   Stole her soul with many vows of faith,
   And ne’er a true one. William Shakespeare.

   Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster
   Doth watch Bianca’s steps so narrowly,
   ’Twere good to steal our marriage. William Shakespeare.

   They hate nothing so much as being alone, for fear some affrighting apprehensions should steal or force their way in. Edmund Calamy.

2. To Stealverb

   1. To withdraw privily; to pass silently.

   Fixt of mind to avoid further entreaty, and to fly all company, one night she stole away. Philip Sidney.

   My lord of Amiens and myself
   Did steal behind him as he lay along
   Under an oak. William Shakespeare.

   I cannot think it,
   That he would steal away so guilty like,
   Seeing you coming. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   The most peaceable way, if you take a thief, is to let him shew what he is, and steal out of your company. William Shakespeare.

   At time that lover’s flights doth still conceal,
   Through Athens’ gate have we devis’d to steal. William Shakespeare.

   In my conduct shall your ladies come,
   From whom you now must steal and take no leave. William Shakespeare.

   Others weary of the long journey, lingering behind, were stolen away; and they which were left, moiled with dirt and mire. Richard Knolles.

   A bride
   Should vanish from her cloaths into her bed,
   As souls from bodies steal and are not spy’d. John Donne.

   The vapour of charcoal hath killed many; and it is the more dangerous, because it cometh without any ill smell, and stealeth on by little and little. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   A soft and solemn breathing sound,
   Rose like a steam of rich distill’d perfumes,
   And stole upon the air, that even silence
   Was took ere she was ware. John Milton.

   As wise artists mix their colours so,
   That by degrees they from each other go;
   Black steals unheeded from the neighb’ring white,
   So on us stole our blessed change. Dryden.

   At a time when he had no steward, he stole away. Jonathan Swift.

   Now his fierce eyes with sparkling fury glow,
   Now sighs steal out when tears begin to flow. Alexander Pope.

   2. To practise theft; to play the thief; to take any thing thievishly; to have the habit of thieving.

   Stealing is the taking from another what is his, without his knowledge or allowance. John Locke.

   The good humour is to steal at a minute’s rest. ———— Convey, the wise it call; steal! a fico for the phrase! William Shakespeare.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Stealnoun

   a handle; a stale, or stele

2. Stealverb

   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

3. Stealverb

   to withdraw or convey clandestinely (reflexive); hence, to creep furtively, or to insinuate

4. Stealverb

   to gain by insinuating arts or covert means

5. Stealverb

   to get into one's power gradually and by imperceptible degrees; to take possession of by a gradual and imperceptible appropriation; -- with away

6. Stealverb

   to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry out secretly; as, to steal a look

7. Stealverb

   to practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft

8. Stealverb

   to withdraw, or pass privily; to slip in, along, or away, unperceived; to go or come furtively

9. Etymology: [See Stale a handle.]

Freebase(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Steal

   In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, or by catching the opponents pass or dribble of an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. Steals are not credited if the defensive player merely picks up a loose ball in his vicinity or when an errant pass goes directly to him. Steals are credited to the player who gains possession. Whenever a steal is recorded for a defensive player, an offensive player must be credited as making a turnover. Stealing the ball requires good anticipation, speed and fast reflexes, all common traits of a good defender. However, like blocked shots, steals are not always a perfect gauge of a player's defensive abilities. An unsuccessful steal can result in the defender being out of position and unable to recover in time, allowing the offense to score. Therefore, attempting to steal is a gamble. Steals can pay off greatly, because they often trigger a fastbreak for the defensive team. There is no prototypical position from which a player may get many steals. While smaller, quicker guards tend to accumulate the most steals, there are many exceptions. For example, forward Rick Barry led the NBA in steals in 1974-75, and for many years center Hakeem Olajuwon led his team in the category, consistently ranking among the league's leaders.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Steal

   stēl, v.t. to take by theft or feloniously: to take away without notice: to gain or win by address, insidiously, or by gradual means: to snatch: in golf, to hole a long putt by a stealthy stroke—the opposite of Gobble.—v.i. to practise theft: to take feloniously: to pass secretly: to slip in or out unperceived:—pa.t. stōle; pa.p. stōlen.—ns. Steal′er; Steal′ing, the act of taking another's property without his knowledge or consent: stolen property.—adv. Steal′ingly.—Steal a march on, to gain an advantage unperceived. [A.S. stelan; Ger. stehlen, Dut. stelen.]

2. Steal

   stēl, n. (Spens.) a handle.

Matched Categories

1. • Baseball
   • Gain
   • Move
   • Purchase

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'steal' in Verbs Frequency: #418

Anagrams for steal »

1. astel

2. lates

3. least

4. leats

5. salet

6. setal

7. slate

8. stale

9. stela

10. taels

11. tales

12. teals

13. tesla

How to pronounce steal?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say steal in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of steal in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of steal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of steal in a Sentence

1. Proverb:

   The thief who has no opportunity to steal thinks he is an honest man.

2. Dr. Shreenivas R. Deshpande:

   Realize your dreams before someone steal them.

3. Ashima:

   You will never learn to steal a car unless you leave keys inside..!

4. Frederick Wilcox:

   Progress always involves risk you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first base.

5. Mike Pompeo:

   We are the world’s finest espionage service, we are going to go out there and do our damnedest to steal secrets on behalf of the American people. And I wanted to get back on our front foot.

Popularity rank by frequency of use