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Glite Dictionary
dog robber

dog robber

9.9
A person who steals dogs from yards or streets
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : ladrón de perros
  • My mother didn't raise me to be a dog-robber.

Examples

  • The neighborhood was plagued by a dog robber who took pets from backyards.

  • The police warned residents to be cautious, as a dog robber had been spotted nearby.

  • After hearing reports of a dog robber in the area, the community organized a watch.

Synonyms

thief
vsdog robber
754 1.0

A person who takes someone else's things without permission

adds focus on pets or items of little value rather than broad theft
robber
vsdog robber
186 1.0

A person who steals from others by using or threatening to hurt them

differs by focusing on nonviolent taking of pets or low value items
rustler
vsdog robber
  • US
13 8.7

A person who steals cattle by moving them away from farms or ranches

relates to stealing animals but focuses on pets or small goods not large livestock
klepto
vsdog robber
  • Offensive
5 9.9

A person who often steals small things

is about taking pets or low value items, not a compulsion
stealer
vsdog robber
4 4.6

A person who takes things that belong to others without permission

is narrower, focusing on pets or low value items
sneak thief
vsdog robber
2 7.6

A person who secretly steals things without using force

targets pets or small items specifically rather than any furtive theft
larcenist
vsdog robber
  • Archaic
1 9.2

A person who steals things

is the everyday type who takes pets or trivial goods rather than formal term
dognapper
vsdog robber
1 8.2

A person who steals dogs to ask for money for their return

focuses on taking pets or low value items
pilferer
vsdog robber
1 7.3

A person who steals small things without using force

focuses more on pets or trivial goods rather than general theft
dognap
vsdog robber
8.9

A person who steals dogs to sell them or ask for money

is used for taking pets or small low value items
purloiner
vsdog robber
9.6

A person who steals things secretly

focuses on pets or trivial goods rather than secretive taking in general
larcener
vsdog robber
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who illegally takes other people's things

is described in ordinary speech as taking pets or small low value items

How Serious

robber
186 1.0
burglar
110 1.4
thief
754 1.0
dog robber
  • Archaic
9.9
pilferer
1 7.3

Surface Forms

dog robber singular
dog robbers plural

Morphology

dog + robber

The noun–noun compound is fully compositional: 'dog' modifies 'robber', so a learner who knows 'dog' and 'robber' will naturally infer 'a robber who steals dogs' rather than an idiomatic or unpredictable meaning. This head–modifier pattern is a common, transparent formation in English and cross-linguistically, making the sense predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Dog robber comes from the simple, literal picture of a person taking a pet: the parts dog and robber show someone sneaking into a yard to grab a dog. So the term means 'a thief who steals dogs' or, more simply, 'someone who takes small, cheap things'.