steal

steal [stēl]

vt.

stole, stolen, stealing [ME stelen < OE stælan, akin to Ger stehlen, prob. altered < IE base * ster-, to rob > Gr sterein, to rob]

1. to take or appropriate (another's property, ideas, etc.) without permission, dishonestly, or unlawfully, esp. in a secret or surreptitious manner

2. to get, take, or give slyly, surreptitiously, or without permission [to steal a look, to steal a kiss]

3. to take or gain insidiously or artfully [to steal someone's heart, to steal the puck in hockey]

4. to be the outstanding performer in (a scene, act, etc.), esp. in a subordinate role

5. to move, put, carry, or convey surreptitiously or stealthily (in, into, from, away, etc.)

☆ 6. Baseball to gain (a base) safely without the help of a hit, walk, or error, usually by running to it from another base while the pitch is being delivered

vi.

1. to be a thief; practice theft

2. to move, pass, etc. stealthily, quietly, gradually, or without being noticed

3. Baseball to steal or attempt to steal a base

n.

Informal

1. an act of stealing

2. something stolen

3. something obtained at a ludicrously low cost

stealer

n.