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Steal   /stil/   Listen
verb
Steal  v. t.  (past stole; past part. stolen; pres. part. 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." "The man who stole a goose and gave away the giblets in alms."
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." "He will steal himself into a man's favor."
3.
To gain by insinuating arts or covert means. "So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel."
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."
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."
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." "Fifty thousand men can not easily steal a march over the sea."
Synonyms: To filch; pilfer; purloin; thieve.


Steal  v. i.  (past stole; past part. stolen; pres. part. stealing)  
1.
To practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft. "Thou shalt not steal."
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." "From whom you now must steal, and take no leave." "A soft and solemn breathing sound Rose like a steam of rich, distilled perfumes, And stole upon the air."


noun
Stale  n.  (Written also steal, stele, etc)  The stock or handle of anything; as, the stale of a rake. "But seeing the arrow's stale without, and that the head did go No further than it might be seen."


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."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Steal" Quotes from Famous Books



... sick girl's, which enveloped her from head to feet. Pretty good disguise—thought Eleanor to herself. Mr. Carlisle would not find her out in this. But there was no danger of his seeing her. She was all ready to steal out; when she suddenly recollected that she might be missed, and the old people in terror make a hue and cry after her. That would not do. She stripped off the bonnet again ...
— The Old Helmet, Volume I • Susan Warner
... marshes all about. A little later, for I was a slow learner, I began to practise the same method with the sense of smell, and still later with the sense of taste. I said to myself, "I will no longer permit the avid and eager eye to steal away my whole attention. I will learn to enjoy more completely all the ...
— Great Possessions • David Grayson
... in touch with Government officers who were experimenting with a wonderfully designed submarine. It happened that Rob and his friends were enabled to assist Uncle Sam's agents in defeating the plans of foreign spies who tried to steal the design of the new invention. In the pages of The Boy Scouts for Uncle Sam are recorded the adventures that accompanied their service, as well as mention of the reward following ...
— The Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields • Lieut. Howard Payson
... adopted, and each of the boys, crouching low and stealthily making his way among the trees and through the brush, tried to steal upon the bird, which still ...
— Scouting with Daniel Boone • Everett T. Tomlinson
... make me happy, my dear Madam, if you were more corresponding, yet I must not reproach your silence, nor wish it were less; for all your moments are so dedicated to goodness, and to unwearied acts of benevolence, that you must steal from charity, or purloin from the repose you want, any that you bestow on me. Do not I know, too, alas! how indifferent your health is! You sacrifice that to your duties: but can a friend, who esteems you so highly as I do, be so selfish as to desire to cost you half an hour's headache! ...
— Letters of Horace Walpole, V4 • Horace Walpole


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