pil·fer

(pĭl′fər)

v. pil·fered, pil·fer·ing, pil·fers

v.tr.

To steal (a small amount or item). See Synonyms at steal.

v.intr.

To steal or filch.

[From Middle English pilfre, booty, spoils, from Old French pelfre; probably akin to felpe, frepe, old clothes; see frippery.]

pil′fer·age (-ĭj) n.

pil′fer·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

pilferer - a thief who steals without using violence

sneak thief, snitcher

stealer, thief - a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

wharf rat - someone who lives near wharves and lives by pilfering from ships or warehouses

pilferer

noun

A person who steals:

bandit, burglar, highwayman, housebreaker, larcener, larcenist, purloiner, robber, stealer, thief.

Translations

سارِق

zlodějíček

småtyv

hnuplari

zlodejíček

arakçı

小偷小摸

pilferer

[ˈpɪlfərəʳ] N → ratero/a m/f, ladronzuelo/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pilferer

n → Dieb(in) m(f), → Langfinger m (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pilferer

[ˈpɪlfərəʳ] n → ladruncolo/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

pilfer

(ˈpilfə) verb

to steal (small things). He pilfered enough pieces of wood from the factory to make a chair.

ˈpilferage noun

ˈpilferer noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

In the midst of them, the hangman, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and now burning pamphlets at the door of Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of a wretched pilferer who had robbed a farmer's boy of sixpence.

View in context

Here, Simon, put these pilferers out, shove 'em into the road, out with 'em!

View in context

When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our friend, got us a lodging, together with a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut, with a larger house adjoining to it, built and also palisadoed round with canes, to keep out pilferers, of which there were not a few in that country: however, the magistrates allowed us a little guard, and we had a soldier with a kind of half-pike, who stood sentinel at our door, to whom we allowed a pint of rice and a piece of money about the value of three-pence per day, so that our goods were kept very safe.

View in context

RISALPUR -- PESCO started crackdown on Wednesday against the power pilferer and arrested seven persons in this regard.

PESCO arrested 7 power pilferers

Mepco sources said that a power pilferer was also arrested by police in Burewala.

Mepco anti-pilferers swoop continues

FAISALABAD: FESCO has claimed to nab 4246 power pilferers red handed from eight districts of its region during August and detached their electricity supply connections.

4246 power pilferers caught during August

FAISALABAD -- FESCO has claimed to nab 4246 power pilferers red handed from eight districts of its region during August and detached their electricity supply connections.

4246 power pilferers caught during August

MULTAN -- Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) caught 2,448 power pilferers and imposed over Rs 75.6 million fine on them during May 2019.

Over Rs 75.6m fine imposed on 2,448 power pilferers during May

MULTAN -- The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) has caught 17,276 power pilferers in a campaign against power theft and recovered fine worth over Rs210 million from them during the last eight months, The Nation has learnt.

Mepco nicks 17,276 power pilferers in eight months

MULTAN -- Task Force of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) imposed fine over Rs 2.3 million on 94 power pilferers during a crack down across 13 districts of the region.

Mepco imposes fine over Rs 2.3 mln on 94 power pilferers

CHARSADDA -- WAPDA and Police officials arrested 59 power pilferers and recovered more than Rs.2.5 million from the defaulters in a crackdown conducted in different parts of the district.

59 power pilferers arrested

MULTAN -- Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) caught 109 pilferers during operations throughout South Punjab.

109 power pilferers caught in South Punjab