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Glite Dictionary
purloiner

purloiner

9.6
A person who steals things secretly
  • noun
  • /pɜrˈlɔɪnər/
translation icon : ladrón
  • The detective was skilled at catching purloiners who snuck into homes under the cover of darkness.

Examples

  • The purloiner managed to slip away before anyone noticed the missing documents.

  • Detectives finally caught the purloiner who had been stealing jewelry from the museum.

  • No one suspected that the quiet librarian was actually a skilled purloiner of rare books.

  • The purloiner was caught on camera stealing from the store.

  • Many purloiners operate in the shadows.

  • Despite her charming demeanor, she was known as a purloiner, often taking small items from her friends without asking.

  • The museum hired extra security to prevent any purloiners from stealing valuable artifacts during the exhibition.

Synonyms

thief
vspurloiner
754 1.0

A person who takes someone else's things without permission

is about secret taking specifically rather than general stealing
stealer
vspurloiner
4 4.6

A person who takes things that belong to others without permission

is secretive or sneaky rather than focusing on intent to sell
sneak thief
vspurloiner
2 7.6

A person who secretly steals things without using force

is secretive too but does not stress lack of force
larcenist
vspurloiner
  • Archaic
1 9.2

A person who steals things

is used in ordinary speech to mean secret taking
pilferer
vspurloiner
1 7.3

A person who steals small things without using force

is about secret taking in general rather than only small items
snitcher
vspurloiner
  • Slang
9.5

A thief who steals quietly without using violence

is secretive in action rather than defined by nonviolence
larcener
vspurloiner
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who illegally takes other people's things

is the everyday term for secret or sneaky taking

How Serious

plunderer
1 7.2
embezzler
5 7.4
purloiner
9.6
thief
754 1.0
pilferer
1 7.3

Surface Forms

purloiner singular
purloiners plural

Morphology

purloiner = purloin (transparent) = purloin + er

Standard agentive formation from the verb 'purloin' by adding '-er'; the meaning 'person who purloins' follows regular English morphology.

Etymology

Purloiner comes from an old French idea of moving something 'away', from parts like pur- and loigner that mean 'away' or 'to move off'. So a purloiner is someone who quietly takes something away, which is why it means a secret or sneaky thief.