reiver

1 9.9

A person who raids and steals from farms and homes in old times

noun
/ˈriːvər/

Archaic

: ladrón

Examples

You've become a famous reiver and retriever In your own lifetime.

Rob Roy (1995)
In the past, reivers often attacked farms to steal livestock and valuables.
The folklore of the borderlands is filled with tales of reivers who lived by plundering their neighbors.
Local historians recount how reivers played a notorious role in the conflicts between England and Scotland.

Synonyms

thief

vsreiver

754 1.0

A person who takes someone else's things without permission

is about raiding and plundering often involving force rather than stealth

robber

vsreiver

186 1.0

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

is used for historical raiding and plundering rather than personal robbery

bandit

vsreiver

108 4.6

A person who steals from people or places, often using a weapon

is a historical style label for groups who raid and plunder

looter

vsreiver

43 5.3

A person who steals things from shops and homes during riots or disasters

is associated with planned historical raids rather than opportunistic stealing

raider

vsreiver

29 5.1

A person who enters a place to steal things by force

is broader, covering historical plundering not only wartime entries

marauder

vsreiver

NSFW

16 8.8

A person who attacks places to steal things

is used for historical raiding and plundering rather than general attackers

brigand

vsreiver

7 9.8

A person with a weapon who steals from travelers in remote areas

is often a historical term for raiding groups rather than lone theft

reaver

vsreiver

Archaic

4 9.9

A person who attacks places to steal things, often in old stories

is used mainly in fiction and legend rather than historical accounts

sacker

vsreiver

Archaic

1 9.5

A person who attacks a town or city and steals things

refers specifically to sacking towns or cities during violent attacks

plunderer

vsreiver

1 7.2

A person who steals things by force from places like shops or homes during war

is a general historical name for those who raid and plunder

larcenist

vsreiver

Archaic

1 9.2

A person who steals things

is the historical raiding type who uses force and plunders rather than simple theft

pillager

vsreiver

1 8.1

A person who steals things from places like shops, often during war

is broader historical term covering raiding plundering and looting acts

despoiler

vsreiver

1 9.9

A person who steals valuable things by force, often during war

is the common historical term for raiding and taking spoils

sackman

vsreiver

Archaic

9.9

A person who steals things from towns during war

is focused on the act of sacking during war rather than general theft

spoiler

vsreiver

Archaic

9.5

A person who takes goods by force from people during war

is used generally for historical plundering and taking spoils

larcener

vsreiver

Archaic

9.9

A person who illegally takes other people's things

is the historical raiding type who uses force and plunders rather than simple theft

Antonyms

defender

252 2.8

A person who protects someone or something from harm

protector

129 2.8

A person who defends and cares for another person or thing

Surface Forms

reiver singular

reivers plural

Morphology

reiver = reive (semi-transparent) = reive + er

The word is a regular agent noun built from the rare/archaic verb 'reive', so the structure is clear but the base is not familiar to many learners.

Etymology

The word reiver comes from an old English word reave, meaning 'to rob' or 'to take by force'. It was used for raiders on the English–Scottish border, so a reiver is literally a 'thief' or plunderer.