steal
/stiːl/ · steal
noun
- The act of taking property without permission. The police investigated the theft after the museum reported a theft of several paintings.
- A purchase made at an unusually low price; a bargain. That vintage watch was a real steal at only ten dollars.
- In sports, a situation where a defensive player gains possession of the ball or puck from the opponent. The defender made a quick steal and launched a counter‑attack.
verb
- To take something that belongs to someone else without permission or legal right. Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery last night.
- To appropriate ideas, words, music, credit, etc., without giving acknowledgment. They stole my design for the new app and released it as their own.
- To obtain or achieve something surreptitiously or artfully. He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.
Did you know? In baseball, a "steal" refers to a runner advancing to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball, a tactic first recorded in the 19th century.