steal

verb

1. (transitive)To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.

   “Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery.”

   “The problem is the two bicycles stolen from us.”

   “They stole all my money (from me).”

   “At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went down ſtairs, naked to her ſhift as ſhe was, with a deſign to ſteal them[…].”

   “"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."”

2. (transitive, usually)To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.

   “They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.”

3. (transitive)To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.

   “He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.”

   “Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind too often from its steady pursuit of any subject.”

   “Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly,[…]and do not think to steal it.”

4. (figuratively, informal, transitive)To acquire at a low price.

   “He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.”

   “He got that car for two grand under book? Wow, he stole that thing!”

5. (transitive)To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.
6. (intransitive)To move silently or secretly.

   “He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.”

   “At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went down ſtairs, naked to her ſhift as ſhe was, with a deſign to ſteal them[…].”

   “"Did he take his bottle well?" Mrs. Flanders whispered, and Rebecca nodded and went to the cot and turned down the quilt, and Mrs. Flanders bent over and looked anxiously at the baby, asleep, but frowning. The window shook, and Rebecca stole like a cat and wedged it.”

   “A kind of tense peace, like the centre of a cyclone, descended. Not for long, of course, for already stealing upon one's hearing would be the staccato bark and thrust of the banker bringing up the rear.”

   “When night had fallen, the she-demon stole forth toward the hall, which she entered unheard and unseen.”

7. (transitive)To convey (something) clandestinely.

   “The fact that European Cuckoos steal their eggs into the nests of other birds has been generally known for more than a thousand years.”

8. To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.

   “They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission.”

   “He will steal himself into a man's favour.”

9. (transitive)To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, passed ball, wild pitch, or defensive indifference.
10. (transitive)To dispossess

    “However, until Gardner stole the ball from Dean Whitehead in the centre circle with the half-hour approaching, setting off on a run which culminated with a testing long-range shot - with debutant Obafemi Martins lurking, Begovic gathered at the second time of asking - Stoke looked the more credible contenders to break the deadlock.”

11. (excessive, informal, transitive)To borrow for a short moment.

    “Can I steal your pen?”

12. (humorous, informal, transitive)To take or retell someone else’s joke; to use a clever phrase or expression from someone else in one's own speaking or writing.

noun

1. The act of stealing.
2. (figuratively, slang)A piece of merchandise available at a very low, attractive price; the act of buying it.

   “Near-synonyms: bargain, good value, value for money”

   “At this price, this car is a steal.”

   “He got that thing for just twenty bucks? What a steal!”

3. A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.
4. A stolen base.
5. Scoring in an end without the hammer.
6. A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs.