different between thieve vs thief

English

Etymology

From Middle English *theven (found in Middle English thevinge (“thieving”)), from Old English þ?ofian, ?eþ?ofian, ?eþ?efian (“to thieve, steal”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: th?v, IPA^(key): /?i?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v

Verb

thieve (third-person singular simple present thieves, present participle thieving, simple past and past participle thieved)

1. (intransitive) To commit theft.

Synonyms

• steal
• rob

Related terms

• theft
• thief
• thievery
• thieving
• theftable
• thieve out

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• theef

Etymology

From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þ?of, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz. Spelling from Northern England, where /e?o/ became [i?] rather than [e?]. (Compare the spelling of deep from Old English deop.)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: th?f, IPA^(key): /?i?f/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?if/
• Rhymes: -i?f

Noun

thief (plural thieves)

1. One who carries out a theft.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:thief
2. One who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence.
3. (obsolete) A waster in the snuff of a candle.
   • 1640, Joseph Hall, Divine Light

     But hear you , my Worthy Brethren : do not you , where you see a thief in the candle , call presently for an extinguisher

Hypernyms

• (one who carries out a theft): See Thesaurus:criminal

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

• thieve

Translations

Anagrams

• feith, theif