stealer

English

Etymology

From Middle English stelere, equivalent to steal +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Steler (“thief”), West Frisian steller, stelder (“stealer”), Dutch steler (“stealer, thief”), Danish stjæler (“stealer”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstiːlə/
• (General American) enPR: stēlʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈstilɚ/
• Rhymes: -iːlə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: steal‧er

Noun

stealer (plural stealers)

1. (chiefly in combination) One who steals; a thief.

   a child-stealer

   a chicken-stealer

   • 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 11:

     "So I catch you. You stealer! Ho! Ho!"

   • 2013, Ruth I. Johnson, Joy Sparton and the Money Mix-Up:

     “You're a stealer and a robber and a swiper and a thief,” I shouted.

2. (shipbuilding) The endmost plank of a strake which stops short of the stem or stern.
3. (computer security) Clipping of infostealer.

Derived terms

• angle stealer
• cookie stealer
• infostealer
• kill stealer
• man-stealer
• men-stealer
• shop stealer

 

References

• “stealer”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Laertes, Laseter, e-alerts, earlets, elaters, realest, relates, reslate, teleras