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Webster 1913 Edition

Steal

Steal

(stēl)
,
Noun.
[See
Stale
a handle.]
A handle; a stale, or stele.
[Archaic or Prov. Eng.]
And in his hand a huge poleax did bear.
Whose
steale
was iron-studded but not long.
Spenser.

Steal

(stēl)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp.
Stole
(stōl)
;
p. p.
Stolen
(stō′l’n)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Stealing
.]
[OE.
stelen
, AS.
stelan
; akin to OFries.
stela
, D.
stelen
, OHG.
stelan
, G.
stehlen
, Icel.
stela
, SW.
stjäla
, Dan.
stiaele
, Goth.
stilan
.]
1.
To take, and carry away, feloniously; to take without right or leave, and with intent to keep wrongfully;
as, to
steal
the personal goods of another
.
Maugre thy heed, thou must for indigence
Or
steal
, or beg, or borrow, thy dispense.
Chaucer.
The man who
stole
a goose and gave away the giblets in alms.
G. Eliot.
2.
To withdraw or convey clandestinely (reflexive); hence, to creep furtively, or to insinuate.
They could insinuate and
steal
themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission.
Spenser.
He will
steal
himself into a man’s favor.
Shakespeare
3.
To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.
So Absalom
stole
the hearts of the men of Israel.
2 Sam. xv. 6.
4.
To get into one's power gradually and by imperceptible degrees; to take possession of by a gradual and imperceptible appropriation; – with away.
Variety of objects has a tendency to
steal
away the mind from its steady pursuit of any subject.
I. Watts.
5.
To accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry out secretly;
as, to
steal
a look
.
Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, . . . and do not think to
steal
it.
Bacon.
To steal a march
,
to march in a covert way; to gain an advantage unobserved; – formerly followed by of, but now by on or upon, and sometimes by over; as, to steal a march upon one's political rivals.
She yesterday wanted
to steal a march
of poor Liddy.
Smollett.
Fifty thousand men can not easily
steal a march
over the sea.
Walpole.
Syn. – To filch; pilfer; purloin; thieve.

Steal

(stēl)
,
Verb.
I.
1.
To practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft.
Thou shalt not
steal
.
Ex. xx. 15.
2.
To withdraw, or pass privily; to slip in, along, or away, unperceived; to go or come furtively.
Chaucer.
Fixed of mind to avoid further entreaty, and to fly all company, one night she
stole
away.
Sir P. Sidney.
From whom you now must
steal
, and take no leave.
Shakespeare
A soft and solemn breathing sound
Rose like a steam of rich, distilled perfumes,
And
stole
upon the air.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Steal

STEAL

,
Verb.
T.
pret. stole; pp. stolen, stole. [G. L, to take, to lift.]
1.
To take and carry away feloniously, as the personal goods of another. To constitute stealing or theft, the taking must be felonious, that is, with an intent to take what belongs to another, and without his consent.
Let him that stole, steal no more. Ephesians 4.
2.
To Withdraw or convey without notice or clandestinely.
They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by submission.
3.
To gain or win by address or gradual and imperceptible means.
Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind from its steady pursuit of any subject.
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15.

STEAL

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To withdraw or pass privily; to slip along or away unperceived.
Fixed of mind to fly all company, one night she stole away.
From whom you now must steal and take no leave.
A soft and solemn breathing sound rose like a steam of rich distilld perfumes, and stole upon the air.
2.
To practice theft; to take feloniously. He steals for a livelihood.
Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20.

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