Thief:
–noun, plural thieves.a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force;one guilty of theft or larceny. Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English thēof; cognate with Dutchdief, German Dieb, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs
—Related formsun·der·thief, noun, plural -thieves.
—Synonyms
burglar, pickpocket, highwayman. Thief, robber refer to one whosteals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealthwithout the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, andmakes away with things of value, even at the cost of violence: Arobber held up two women on the street.