thief-taker
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈθifˌteɪkər/
- Archaic
:
cazador de ladrones
- In the past, a skilled thief-taker could earn a good living by capturing criminals for a reward.
Examples
-
But the thief-taker was always wary when talking to any of his companions.
Fiction book (1991) -
A thief-taker for the King of Shienar, he did not wear a Shienaran warrior's topknot, yet the short sword and notched sword-breaker at his belt were worn with use.
Fiction book (1991) -
To London. " And how did you come to meet Sir John?" I had never told her the tale of my arrival in London: how I had been duped by a thief-taker and brought, falsely accused, before the magistrate's court at Number 4 Bow Street, and how Sir John Fielding saw through this cruel deception and sent the conspirators on their way.
Fiction book (2001) -
The thief-taker displayed great courage as he tracked down the notorious criminal in the dark alleys.
-
Many relied on the expertise of a thief-taker to recover their stolen property in the bustling city.
Synonyms
68
5.4
A person who finds and captures people or animals to get a reward
1
7.0
A person who finds and catches criminals who are running away
A person who arrests people and takes them to the police
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Thief-taker is made from thief and taker. It literally means someone who 'takes' thieves, that is, catches them and hands them over for a 'reward' before there were modern police.