pilfer en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
From earlier pilfre, from Middle English pilfre (“booty”), from Old French pelfre (“plunder, booty, spoils”), of unknown origin. Compare pelf.
Meanings
-
(ambitransitive) To steal in small quantities, or articles of small value; to practise petty theft.
Office supplies often get pilfered by employees.
pilfer goods
pilfer from a store
The boy tried to pilfer sweets from the shop.
pilfer small items
The truck carrying 413,793 units of a “new chocolate range”, about 12 tons of chocolate bars, was pilfered while driving through Europe on 26 March, Agence France-Presse reported.
2026 March 28, Gloria Oladipo, “Sugar high(st): more than twelve tons of KitKat’s ‘new chocolate range’ stolen in Italy”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pilfering | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pilfre | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| pilfered | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pilfered | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| pilfers | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
unpilfered · pilferingly · pilferage · pilferproof · pilferer · pilferable
Relateds
Translations (50)
gl sacumar (to steal in small quantities) · cmn 小偷小摸 (to steal in small quantities) · pl podkraść (to steal in small quantities) · eo ŝteleti (to steal in small quantities) · de mausen (to steal in small quantities) · ru разворо́вывать (to steal in small quantities) · sa चोरयति (to steal in small quantities) · fi näpistellä (to steal in small quantities) · pl podkradać (to steal in small quantities) · sh potkradati (to steal in small quantities) · fr piquer (to steal in small quantities) · cmn 偷竊 /偷窃 (to steal in small quantities) · tl mangupit (to steal in small quantities) · de abziehen (to steal in small quantities) · gl sisar (to steal in small quantities) · de stehlen (to steal in small quantities) · pt surripiar (to steal in small quantities) · et näppama (to steal in small quantities) · cmn 扒竊 /扒窃 (to steal in small quantities) · la surpō (to steal in small quantities) · fr chaparder (to steal in small quantities) · cmn 偷雞摸狗 /偷鸡摸狗 (to steal in small quantities) · ru ворова́ть (to steal in small quantities) · hu lopkod (to steal in small quantities) · ru красть (to steal in small quantities) · cs ukrádat (to steal in small quantities) · ru раста́скивать (to steal in small quantities) · de mitgehen lassen (to steal in small quantities) · nl stelen (to steal in small quantities) · de stibitzen (to steal in small quantities) · sv snatta (to steal in small quantities) · it rubacchiare (to steal in small quantities) · bg отмъквам (to steal in small quantities) · es ratear (to steal in small quantities) · ru таска́ть (to steal in small quantities) · izh näpissellä (to steal in small quantities) · mi kaiā (to steal in small quantities) · bg върша дребни кражби (to steal in small quantities) · tl kumupit (to steal in small quantities) · fi näpistää (to steal in small quantities) · es sisar (to steal in small quantities) · de mopsen (to steal in small quantities) · de klauen (to steal in small quantities) · hu dézsmál (to steal in small quantities) · pt surrupiar (to steal in small quantities) · cmn 東偷西摸 /东偷西摸 (to steal in small quantities) · cs rozkrádat (to steal in small quantities) · nl jatten (to steal in small quantities) · cy chwiwladrata (to steal in small quantities) · sh поткрадати (to steal in small quantities)