steal: [OE] Steal comes from a prehistoric Germanic base *stel-. This also produced German stehlen, Dutch stelen, Swedish stjäla, and Danish stjæle, but its ultimate ancestry is unknown. The derived stealth [13] originally meant ‘theft’ (‘I know my lord hath spent of Timon’s wealth, and now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth’, Shakespeare, Timon of Athens 1607), but this has gradually been ousted by the metaphorical ‘furtiveness’. Stalk ‘follow furtively’ comes from the same Germanic base. => stalk, stealth
steal (v.)
Old English stelan "to commit a theft, to take and carry off clandestinely and without right or leave" (class IV strong verb; past tense stæl, past participle stolen), from Proto-Germanic *stelan (cognates: Old Saxon stelan, Old Norse, Old Frisian stela "to steal, to rob one of," Dutch stelen, Old High German stelan, German stehlen, Gothic stilan "to steal"), from PIE *stel-, possibly a variant of *ster- (3) "to rob, steal."
"The notion of secrecy ... seems to be part of the original meaning of the vb." [OED]. Intransitive meaning "to depart or withdraw stealthily and secretly" is from late Old English. Most IE words for steal have roots in notions of "hide," "carry off," or "collect, heap up." Attested as a verb of stealthy motion from c. 1300 (as in to steal away, late 14c.); of kisses from late 14c.; of glances, sighs, etc., from 1580s. The various sports senses begin 1836. To steal (someone) blind first recorded 1974.
steal (n.)
1825, "act or case of theft," from steal (v.). Meaning "a bargain" is attested by 1942, American English colloquial. Baseball sense of "a stolen base" is from 1867.
双语例句
1. They can steal away at night and join us.
他们可以晚上偷偷溜出来和我们碰面。
来自柯林斯例句
2. People who are drug addicts come in and steal.
瘾君子会进来偷东西。
来自柯林斯例句
3. During the riots hundreds of people seized the opportunity to steal property.
在暴乱中成百上千的人纷纷趁机偷窃财物。
来自柯林斯例句
4. He tried to strangle a border policeman and steal his gun.
他企图勒死一名边防警察并偷走他的枪。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The eighth commandment is "Thou shalt not steal".
