english
1
general::
thief
someone who steals things from a person or place:
• The thief grabbed her handbag and ran off down the street. • Car thieves are operating in this area.
burglar
someone who goes into houses, offices etc to steal things:
• Burglars broke into the house and took a computer worth £1,000. • Police believe the burglar got in through the kitchen window.
robber
someone who steals from banks, offices, houses etc, especially using threats or violence:
• a gang of bank robbers • an armed robber (= a robber with a gun )
shoplifter
someone who takes things from shops without paying for them, especially by hiding them in their clothes or in a bag:
• The store has installed hidden cameras to catch shoplifters.
pickpocket
someone who steals from people’s pockets, especially in a crowded public place:
• Look out for pickpockets in busy tourist areas.
mugger
a thief who violently attacks someone in the street and robs them:
• The mugger punched him in the face and tried to steal his wallet.
joyrider
someone who steals a car and drives it very fast for fun:
• Police pursued the teenage joyriders across three counties.
looter
someone who breaks into shops or homes and steals things, after there has been a natural disaster, a war, or a violent protest:
• Police chiefs have warned that looters will be shot.
bandit
a member of an armed group of thieves who travel around attacking people in country areas:
• The village was attacked by a gang of bandits.
poacher
someone who hunts animals, birds etc illegally on other people’s land:
• Their job is to prevent poachers from killing the elephants.
Longman-Thesaurus
2
general::
noun
robber:
A thief stole my coat.
Simple Definitions
3
general::
noun ADJ. would-be The alarm is usually sufficient to deter a would-be thief. | common, petty | professional | casual, opportunist | sneak | car, jewel, etc. QUANT. gang VERB + THIEF catch THIEF + VERB take sth, snatch sth, steal sth A thief snatched her handbag containing her wages. | escape with sth, get away with sth, make off with sth | break in | strike The thief struck while the family were out.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary