Dictionary

burgle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɜːɡl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈbɝɡl̩/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Back-formation from burglar (1867).

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland) To commit burglary.
   • Conceive the Great Lexicographer admitting to his Dictionary such excrescencies as: "Burgle, verb active, To break into a dwelling-house," 1870 February 5, “American Slangography”, in Punch, London, page 44:
   • Well, I hope to goodness the house won’t be burgled during the night. 1892, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Beryl Coronet”, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2011:
   • [S]he went and burgled three pears out of the dish ... 1869, Joanna H. Mathews, Bessie at School, London: James Nisbet & Co., page 183:
   • The New York World has coined a new verb -- "to burgle." 1867 August 24, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, page 8:
   • In St. Louis, burglars burgle by daylight 1867 March 14, “This and That”, in Delaware Tribune, Wilmington, DE, page 1:
   • The language grows apace. A "cablegram" has been received, and $400 have been "burgled." 1868 February 13, Louisville Daily Courier, Louisvile, KY, page 4:
   • Burglarize, to, a term creeping into journalism. ... The word has a dangerous rival in the shorter burgle. 1872, M. Schele De Vere, Americanisms: The English of the New World, New York: Charles Scribner, page 587:
   • Burgled his safe and bolted with the tin. 1868, John Brougham, Much Ado About a Merchant of Venice, New York: Samuel French, page 13:
   • When an American says, "I've been burgled" -- where an Englishman would say, "My house has been broken into by thieves" -- he succeeds in shortening the statement by more than half ... 1873 April 21, Albert Julius Mott, “Inaugural Address”, in Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, volume xxvii, London: Longman, Greens, Reader & Dyer, page 30:
2. (Ireland, UK) To take the ball legally from an opposing player.
   • Foden did his job admirably. The fact that both City goals came from burgling possession in the final third indicated how successfully City managed collectively to disrupt Real’s buildup play. 2020 August 7, Jonathan Liew, “Phil Foden stars to offer Manchester City glimpse of multiple futures”, in The Guardian:
   • And when scrum-half Ben Youngs, who had a poor game, was burgled by opposite number Irakli Abuseridze and the ball shipped down the line to Irakli Machkhaneli, it looked like Georgia had scored a try of their own, but the winger's foot was in touch. 2011 September 18, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia”, in BBC Sport:
   • I'm surprised you have anything left to curate, Mr Bradford. Fake alarm system on the front wall, single mortise lock on the door, windows that won't shut properly. Why don't you hang up a notice saying 'Please Burgle Me'? 2000 February 5, Douglas Watkinson et al., “Beyond the Grave”, in Midsomer Murders:

Forms

Deriveds

unburgled

Relateds

steal · burglary · burglar · rob · breaking and entering · burglarize · purloin · thieve · cat-burgle

Synonyms

burglarize

Translations (10)

ota خرسزلامق (to commit burglary) · cmn 入室抢劫 (to commit burglary) · th ยกเค้า (to commit burglary) · es desvalijar (to commit burglary) · de einbrechen (to commit burglary) · el διαρρηγνύω (to commit burglary) · ota چالمق (to commit burglary) · gl roubar (to commit burglary) · th ปล้น (to commit burglary) · fr cambrioler (to commit burglary)