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Glite Dictionary
dognapper

dognapper

1 8.2
A person who steals dogs to ask for money for their return
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔɡˌnæpər/
translation icon : secuestrador de perros
  • The dognapper demanded a large ransom to return the stolen puppy.

Examples

  • How could you let that dognapper get away?

    Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (1998)

  • These dognappers picked the wrong puppies to mess with.

    Air Buddies (2006)

  • Those pups passed through here yesterday with trespassing dognappers hot on their tails.

    Air Buddies (2006)

  • A story about a dognapper adorns the front cover and an ad for subscribing to the Stephen King library adorns the back.

    Blog text (2)

  • They were dognapped by two dognapping dognappers.

    Air Buddies (2006)

  • Police caught the dognapper just as he was trying to sell a stolen dog.

  • After her dog was stolen, she became an activist against dognappers.

Synonyms

thief
vsdognapper
754 1.0

A person who takes someone else's things without permission

is narrower, focusing on stealing pets often to demand payment
stealer
vsdognapper
4 4.6

A person who takes things that belong to others without permission

usually targets pets specifically to demand payment rather than general theft
snatcher
vsdognapper
  • NSFW
3 8.5

A person who takes someone by force and demands money for their return

steals pets for ransom or sale rather than kidnapping people
sneak thief
vsdognapper
2 7.6

A person who secretly steals things without using force

often takes pets with the clear aim of ransom or illegal sale
dognap
vsdognapper
8.9

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

often targets pets specifically and seeks ransom or reward
dog robber
vsdognapper
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who steals dogs from yards or streets

focuses on taking pets with the aim of payment or resale
purloiner
vsdognapper
9.6

A person who steals things secretly

targets pets specifically and often demands payment rather than simple secrecy
larcener
vsdognapper
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who illegally takes other people's things

covers stealing pets with the added motive of ransom or reward

Surface Forms

dognapper singular
dognappers plural

Morphology

dognapper = dognap (semi-transparent) = dog + nap + er

Formed by adding '-er' to the verb 'dognap', but the verb sense ('nap' = 'steal') is less common and may be unfamiliar to learners.

Etymology

Dognapper joins dog and napper, using 'nap' in the old sense of 'to steal' rather than 'to sleep', just like in kidnapper, so a dognapper is someone who takes dogs and often asks for money to get them back.