| 释义 |
▪ I. steal, n.1 Obs. exc. dial.|stiːl|
Forms: 1 stela, steola, stæla, 4–7, 9 stele, 5–6 stile, 5, 7 steele, 6 style, steyle, 6–7 steile, 6–9 steale, 7, 9 steel, 9 steil, steyl, 8–9 stell, steal.
[OE. stela wk. masc., f. OTeut. *stel- (cf. Gr. στελεός, -όν handle), ablaut-var. of *stal- whence stale n.2 (The OHG. stil, mod.G. stiel, handle, is prob. unconnected).
For the difficulty of distinguishing the forms of the synonymous steal and stale, see stale n.2]
1. The stalk or stem of a plant, leaf, flower or fruit.
c700Epinal Gloss. 215 Caulem, stela. c1000Sax. Leechd. I. 154 Mædere..bið ᵹefrætewud mid feower readum stælum [v.r. stelum, L. cauliculis]. 13..Liber regum Angliæ (Auchinleck MS.) in Scott Minstrelsy (1810) II. 261 Dansimond ȝede and gadred frut, For sothe were plommes white, The steles he puld out everichon, Puisoun he dede therin anon, And sett the steles al ogen, That the gile schuld nought be sen. 13..Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.) in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXXI. 83 Þis whete-corn..þat furst stod on a luytel stele. c1440Pallad. on Husb. xii. 77 But forto hede hem gret, trede doun the stele [Sicapitatum facere volueris, ubi cœperit caulis prodire, proculca]. 1562Turner Herbal ii. 23 b, The floures..stand..vpon theyr stiles or foot stalkes. 1577Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. 28 Rye... The stalke or steale thereof, is smaller then the Wheate stalke. 1601Holland Pliny xiii. vi. I. 389 The steles of the leaves grow contrarie one against the other. 1611Cotgr., Queue,..the staulke, or steale, of fruits. 1639Horn & Rob. Gate Lang. Unl. xi. §119 A cherry hangeth by somewhat a long stalk, a bullace on somewhat a short stele. 1818Wilbraham Chesh. Gloss., Stele, or Steal, the stalk of a flower. 1865Banks Prov. Words Wakefield 68 A ‘musheram steil’.
†b. ? The trunk of a tree. Obs.
c1440Pallad. on Husb. iii. 770 Ther is also graffyng in trees seer, As..asshes, quynce; & punyk, cleef his stile [et punico, sed fisso ligno].
†2. ? A supporting post or pillar. Obs.
c1000ælfric De Novo Testamento 20 (Gr.) Se cinestol stynt on þisum þrim stelum: laboratores, bellatores, oratores. 1547–8in Swayne Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896) 275 For breakynge downe of the steles of the ymages in the churche, xxij d.
†3. An upright side of a ladder; in later use, a rung or step of a ladder: = stale n.2 1. Obs.
13..E.E. Allit. P. C. 513 Wymmen vnwytte þat wale ne couþe Þat on hande fro þat oþer, for alle þis hyȝe worlde, Bitwene þe stele & þe stayre disserne noȝt cunen. 1395Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) ii. xvii, A man that woll clymbe vpon a ladder hye & setteth his fote vpon the lowest stele. c1400Rule St. Benet (Prose) vii. 11 Þe stiȝe hauis tua tres... Þe stelis bytuixe bitakins oure gude dedis. c1440York Myst. xxxiv. 91 Sties..With stalworthe steeles.., Bothe some schorte and some lang. 1621J. Mayer Engl. Catech. 364 Euery steale of the ladder [is] a part of the ladder.
4. The handle of a tool or utensil (e.g. a hammer, axe, pot, spoon).
13..Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2230 Þe gome..Sette þe stele to the stone, & stalked bysyde. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 274 Lerned men a ladel bugge with a longe stele. c1386Chaucer Miller's T. 599 And caughte the kultour by the colde stele. c1440Promp. Parv. 473/2 Stele, or stert of a vesselle, ansa. 1498in Somerset Med. Wills (1901) 365 A posnet with a stele and broken feete. c1520in Gutch Collect. Cur. (1781) II. 297 Item oone Sponne with a flat Steyle. 1570–80Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees Soc.) 117 For mendinge the mason's towles in ther worke and for style to them, 4s. 3d. 1596Spenser F.Q. v. xii. 14 An huge Polaxe..Whose steale was yron studded, but not long. 1625in Rymer Fœdera XVIII. 239/2 Item a Lookeing Glass sett in Goulde,..the Steele of Aggott. 1631Gouge God's Arrows i. §25. 35 The Censer was..made..of gold..with a steele or handle to hold it by. 1788Vallancey Voc. Bargie in Trans. R. Irish Acad. II. 33 Stell, the handle of a thing. 1802Sibbald Chron. Sc. P. IV. Gloss. s.v., Steils of a barrow or plough, the handles. 1894Northumb. Gloss. s.v., The tiller or handle of a rudder was formerly called a steel or ‘start’.
Proverb. phr.1402Hoccleve Lett. Cupid 50 And whann this man the pot hath be the stele, and fully is in his possessyon. c1412― De Reg. Princ. 5247 Thei hadden bi þe stele Prosperite.
b. esp. A long straight handle, e.g. of a rake or broom.
c1386,c1440Rake stele [see rake n.1 5]. 1523–34Fitzherb. Husb. §24 If the rake be made of grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele. 1597Bp. Hall Sat. iii. vii. 66 Like a broad shak-forke with a slender steale. 1765Lond. Chron. 6 July 18 He then went into the pond with a rake-steale in his hand. 1796[R. Walker] Plebeian Politics (1801) 5 Hee took th' mop stele, an b'eet it eawt again. 1839Sir G. C. Lewis Gloss. Heref., Stele, the wooden handle of a rake or pitchfork. 1879Jefferies Wild Life in S. Co. 70 The peculiar broad-headed nail which fastens the mop to the stout ashen ‘steale’ or handle.
†c. The shank of a candlestick; the long neck of a matrass or retort. Obs.
1585Higins Junius' Nomencl. 245/2 Candelabri scapus,..the shanke of stele of the candlesticke. 1594Plat Jewell-ho. iii. 44 A bolt glasse, hauing a long steale.
d. The stem of a tobacco-pipe.
1672J. Josselyn New-Eng. Rarities 72 The Roots are..of the bigness of the steel of a Tobacco Pipe. 1866[R. Hallam] Wadsley Jack xi. (E.D.D.), [He] shuv'd a poipe steil i't foire.
†5. The shaft or stem of an arrow or spear; = stale n.2 4. Obs.
1530Palsgr. 275/2 Steale of a shaft, fust. Ibid. 548/2, I fether a shafte, I put fethers upon a steale, jempenne. 1545R. Ascham Toxoph. ii. (Arb.) 123 A shaft hath three principall partes, the stele, the fethers, and the head. 1609Holland Amm. Marcell. xxiii. iii. 223 An arrow made of a cane, betwixt the head and the steile. 1611Cotgr., Fust..the steale of a dart, or iauelin.
▪ II. steal, n.2|stiːl|
[f. steal v.]
1. a. The act, or an act, of stealing; a theft; the thing stolen or purloined. Chiefly U.S. colloq.[In the first quot. the word is prob. of different formation; if not an error for or variant of stale n.1, it may represent an OE. *stǽl f. OTeut. *stǣl- ablaut-var. of *stel- steal v.] c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 79 Gif þe unfele man..teð him to unwrenches, to stele, oðer refloc, oðer swikedom [etc.]. 1825Jamieson, Steal. 1. A theft. Aberd. 2. The thing stolen. Ibid. 1890Sat. Rev. 26 July 110/1 This is an audacious steal from ‘In a Gondola’! 1891Kipling Light that failed iii. ‘Yes, it is rather a cold-blooded steal,’ said Torpenhow critically.
b. N. Amer. A piece of dishonesty or fraud on a large scale; a corrupt or fraudulent transaction in politics.
1872Daily Gaz. (Little Rock, Arkansas) 1 Apr., Of all the swindles and steals that have ever been proposed or carried out in our State, this is the largest and boldest. 1884Reading (Pa.) Morn. Herald 15 Apr., When the makers of the constitution of the United States put in that apparently harmless clause giving Congress the power to legislate for the ‘general welfare’, they little thought what jobs and steals it would ultimately be made the excuse for. 1888Bryce Amer. Commw. iii. lxiv. II. 471 Rings are the cause of both peculation and jobbery, although St. Louis has had no ‘big steal’. 1891Weekly Empire (Toronto) 3 Sept. 4/2 The late gigantic steal.
c. colloq. (orig. U.S.). A bargain.
1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang. §546/2 Advantageous purchase; a bargain,..steal. 1951N.Y. Herald-Tribune 14 Dec. 6 The asking price is $45,000, but I'm pretty sure you could get it for 43,000, and at that price it's a steal. 1960News Chron. 2 May 3/1 At {pstlg}30,000 it was a steal. I think it's worth {pstlg}75,000. 1969C. Drummond Odds on Death vi. 142 A car like this..is a steal at three thousand quid. 1979Fortune 15 Jan. 67 A sentimental gesture, but it was a steal—a quarter of a million acres for less than $10 an acre!
†2. An act of going furtively. Obs. rare—1.
1590Tarlton's News Purgatory 29 The vickar..forbad it openly: yet it was not so deepely inveighed against, but that diuerse Sundayes they would make a steale thither to breakefast.
3. a. Golf (see quot. 1897.)
1842G. F. Carnegie Golfiana in Golfiana Misc. (1887) 81 A most disgusting steal. 1867Poems on Golf 53 Though such long steals are now but rarely done. 1897Encycl. Sport I. 473/2 (Golf) Steal, a long putt holed unexpectedly.
b. Baseball. A stolen run from one base to another.
1867Chicago Times 26 July 5/2 Norton made first base, but, on essaying Berthrong's steal, he was similarly ousted. 1891N. Crane Base-ball iv. 36 The runner..must, therefore, look out for an exceptional chance to make the steal. 1908[see run down n. 1]. 1949Oregonian (Portland) 10 Aug. iii. 4/1 Davis overthrew second in an attempt to nail Hale on a steal. 1976National Observer (U.S.) 12 June 14/3 Don't worry. I give the steal sign, and if you're thrown out, I'll take the blame. 1976Washington Post 19 Apr. d4/4 Washington's glamour boy also struck out when he labeled the Yanks' Roy White ‘an excellent steal man, 15 for 16 last year’ only to correct himself a minute later by giving White 16 steals in 31 attempts last season.
c. Basketball. An act of obtaining possession of the ball from an opponent.
1974State (Columbia S. Carolina) 15 Feb. 3-b/4 Then, on a steal, Iona tied it up 62–62.
▪ III. steal, v.1|stiːl|
Forms: 1 (ᵹe)stelan, 3 stelin, steolin, 3–4 stelen, 3–7 stele, 4 stel(le, steln, 4–5 steele, 4–6 Sc. steile, steyle, 5 stelyn, steyl(l, 5–6 Sc. steill, 6 staile, steel, stell, 6–7 steale, Sc. steil, 6– steal. pa. tense 1–2 stæl, (pl. stǽlon), 3 pl. stalen, 3–4 stel, 3–6 stal, 4 pl. stelyn, stolen, 4–5 staal(e, 4–6 stall, 4–7 stale, 4–8 Sc. staw, 5 staall(e, stele, Sc. sta, stawe, 6 stalle, Sc. staill, 4– stole. Also (weak forms) 7, 9 dial. stealed, 6 stolled, 9 dial. stoalt. pa. pple. 1 (ᵹe)stolen, 2 istolen, 3–4 i-stole, 4 stollyn, stoolen, ystole, Sc. stowine, 4–5 stoll(e, stolyn, 4– 7 stollen, stolne, 4–8 stole, stoln, 5 ystolne, Sc. stone, stowyn, 5–7 stollin, stollyne, -yng, Sc. stoune, stowin, stowne, 6 north. stowen, 8 Sc. sta'en, 8–9 Sc. and dial stown, 3– stolen. Also (weak forms) 6 stolled, stollyd, 6, 9 dial. stealed.
[A Com. Teut. strong verb: OE. stelan, pa. tense stæl, pl. stǽlon, pa. pple. stolen, corresponds to OFris. stela, OS. stelan, Du. stelen, OHG. stelan (MHG. steln, mod.G. stehlen), ON. stela (Sw. stjäla, Da. stjæle), Goth. stilan, f. OTeut. *stel- (:stal-: stǣl-: stul-). Outside Teut. no certain cognates are known.
In the 14th c. the regular form stal of the pa. tense began to be superseded by stole (after the pa. pple.), which has been the accepted form since the 17th c. The Bible of 1611 has in two places stale (but mod. reprints stole), and in four places stole. The weak forms stealed, and the mixed forms stolled, stoald, appear in the 16th c. and in modern dialects, but have never been general.]
I. To take dishonestly or secretly.
1. a. trans. To take away dishonestly (portable property, cattle, etc., belonging to another); esp. to do this secretly or unobserved by the owner or the person in charge. Const. from (earlier dat.).
The notion of secrecy (cf. stealth) seems to be part of the original meaning of the vb., which, however, is also employed in a generic sense applicable to open as well as secret acts of theft. In mod. use it takes the place of reave v.1 5, rob v. 5, and of combinations like ‘to steal and reave’.
c1000ælfric Gen. xliv. 8 Wenst þu, þæt we þines hlafordes gold oððe his seolfor stælon? a1250Prov. ælfred B. 665 He wole stelin þin haite & keren, & listeliche onsuerren. c1290Beket 816 in S. Eng. Leg. 130 ‘Bel ami, þou hast’, quad þe king: ‘i-stole me muchel guod’. a1300Cursor M. 4936 Quils i sald þam o mi sede þai stall mi cupe a-wai to lede. 1338R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 77 Þe Normans did it alle in þe guyse of theft, Þe godes þerof stal. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xxiii. (Seven Sleepers) 311 Be lauty þu tellis ws now..quhare þat þu has stowine þis tresoure ore reft. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 65 Oon of þis secounde Richard his knyȝtes staal a spone, and leyde it to wedde among oþer þinges. 1400in Roy. & Hist. Lett. Hen. IV (Rolls) 38 Thu knowlechest..that thy men hath stolle our horsen out of our parke. c1450Mirk's Festial 14 When þys Jew was comen home and fonde hys good ystolne, he was wod wroth wyt Saynt Nycholas. a1500Bernard. de cura rei fam. (E.E.T.S.) iii. 3 Now has a boy stone Þe brydylle of his blonke hede, agayne he buske shulde. a1500Ratis Raving iii. 302 He is a theif rycht as he stald. 1546J. Heywood Prov. i. xi. (1867) 35 As dyd the pure penitent that stale a goose And stack downe a fether. 1595W. W[arner] Plautus' Menæcmi v. (1779) 141 Even now thou deniedst that thou stolest it [the cloak] from me, and now thou bringest it home openly in my sight. 1677in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 37 Some mischievous persons to dishonour my Lord Chancellour crept through a window of his house..and stole the Mace and the two purses. 1738Wesley Wks. (1872) I. 121 Both my books were stole. 1787Burns Banks o' Doon v, And my fause luver staw the rose, But left the thorn wi' me. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 512 He who steals a little steals with the same wish as he who steals much. 1891Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xlviii Yes; I stole money from Philemon, my beloved master. 1909J. G. Frazer Psyche's Task iii. 23 Whoever steals sticks from the fence will have a swollen head.
†b. with of used partitively. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 4904 He þat has yow don socur Stoln haue yee of his tresur. c1400Rule St. Benet 569 Of oþer mens we sal not steyl Ne couet here no wordly wele. 1483Caxton Golden Leg. 112/2 Judas..bare the purse..and stale of that whiche was gyuen to cryst.
c. with away, † out, † over.
c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xl. (Ninian) 448 Þefis..in þe circle þane but dout ȝed, for to steile þe catel owte. 1471Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 440 How Cacus stale away the Oxen & kyen longyng to hercules. 1530Palsgr. 734/2, I steale awaye a thing by thefte, je emble. 1565Jewel Reply Harding (1611) 370 The people of Israel, by his Commande⁓ment, stale away the Egyptians goods, without breach of the Law. 1576J. Dee Gen. & Rare Memor. 23 marg., Though of Late in the..Low Country Trublesome disorders, Some Few (by Stealing ouer of vittayles, and other things, from this Common Wealth) haue made them selues priuatly rich. c1610Women Saints 48 They stale away the coffins and reliques. 1711Steele Spect. No. 78 ⁋5 A Pickpocket, who during his kissing her stole away all his Money. 1883Tylor in Encycl. Brit. XV. 199/2 The sorcerer has other means of attacking his victim:..he can steal away his kidney fat.
d. In wider sense: To take or appropriate dishonestly (anything belonging to another, whether material or immaterial).
c1275Sinners Beware! 153 in O.E. Misc. 77 In helle he may adrynke If he steleþ cristes theoþinge. a1300Cursor M. 3516 How yonger o þir tua þe blissing stal his broþer fra. Ibid. 3988, I stal him fra his benisun. 1340Ayenb. 26 Þo byeþ ypocrites..steleþ þe dingnetes and þe baylyes. 1477Norton Ord. Alch. ii. in Ashm. (1652) 34 For when I had my warke well wrought, Such stale it away and left me nought. 1643Baker Chron., Hen. VI, 67 Affirming that deceitfully..he had stolne many Cities and places of importance belonging to the Crown of England. a1704T. Brown Dial. Dead, Belgic Hero Wks. 1711 IV. 67 By which [treaty] he was obliged to vomit up numberless Provinces and Towns, which he had dishonourably stolen from their true Proprietors. 1824Scott St. Ronan's xxvii, You not only steal my ideas,..but [etc.]..No man like you for stealing other men's inventions.
e. esp. To plagiarize; to pass off (another's work) as one's own; to ‘borrow’ improperly (words, expressions). Also absol.
1544Betham Precepts War Ep. Ded. A vj b, All translatours ought to vse the vsuall termes of our englyshe tounge..and not to breke..in to the boundes of the latyn tounge, to steale termes of it. 1590Tarlton's News Purgatory 21 His Motto is stolne out of Tully, Non solum pro nobis. 1620J. Taylor (Water P.) Praise Hemp-seed (1623) 36, I haue not stolne a Sillable, or Letter From any man, to make my booke seeme better. 1655Stanley Hist. Philos., Xenophon vii. (1687) 115/2 When he might have stollen the writings of Thucydides..he chose rather to publish them with honour. 1716Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) V. 331 He steals unmercifully, and amongst the Rest from Naunton's. 1841W. Spalding Italy & It. Isl. I. 201 It was stolen as genius steals from genius, it was stolen as Phidias stole from Homer.
f. To derive obscurely and dishonourably. nonce-use.
1693Stepney in Dryden's Juvenal viii. (1697) 193 Who know not from what Corner of the Earth The obscure Wretch, who got you, stole his Birth.
g. With a person as quasi-obj., in phr. to steal (someone) blind, to rob or cheat (someone) totally or mercilessly. colloq. (orig. N. Amer.).
1974Times 28 Feb. 9/5 Mr. Howard Hughes, the eccentric multimillionaire..replied: ‘Because he's a no-good, dishonest son of a bitch, and he stole me blind.’ 1975Citizen (Ottawa) 29 Oct. 21/2 Trustee Dalton McGuinty..said there was no other way to keep students from ‘stealing us blind’. 1977I. Shaw Beggarman, Thief i. ii. 21 We'd've been stolen blind without him. 1978D. Bagley Flyaway xxi. 182 These people are Fulani... We're not staying here—they'd steal us blind.
2. absol. and intr. To commit or practise theft. † Const. dat. of person.
c725Corpus Gloss. C 859 Conpilat, stilith. c950Lindisf. Gosp. John x. 10 Ðeaf ne cymes buta þæte ᵹestele & eteð & losað. a1000Laws of æthelb. ix, Ᵹif friᵹman freum stelþ. c1175Lamb. Hom. 31 Seodðan bisechen milce et þan ilke monne þe he haueð er istolen oðer oðer-weis wa idon. a1200Vices & Virtues 67 Ne sleih, ne ne stell, ne reaue. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xii. (Matthias) 246 Þo he wes thefe & ay wald steyle. 1390Gower Conf. II. 134 For every thief upon richesse Awaiteth forto robbe and stele. 1483Caxton Golden Leg. 286/3 Ther was a theef that ofte stale. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 45 The Souldiour's stale, extorted, and spoyled vpon both parties. 1610Shakes. Temp. iv. i. 239 We steale by lyne and leuell. c1660in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iv. 100 About 80 torres..doe continually robe and stele. 1684Burnet tr. More's Utopia 16 By which every Man might..so be preserved from the fatal necessity of stealing. 1815Elphinstone Acc. Caubul (1842) II. 53 They plunder weak travellers, and steal from those who are too strong to be plundered. 1871R. W. Dale Commandm. viii. 208 To give short weight or measure, is to steal.
3. a. trans. To take away by stratagem or by eluding observation (something that is in the possession or keeping of another).
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 13 Cuoðað ᵹie þætte ðeᵹnas his on næht cuomun &..stelende weron hine. 13..Seuyn Sag. (W.) 2652 He priked to the galewes with his fole, And fond that a thef was i-stole. c1440Alphabet of Tales 281 Þe aungell stale þe syluer copp at þai dranke of. c1450J. Capgrave St. Augustine ix. 14 Þei pulled up sail & stale þe schip from hir. 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 14 Lyons, (which usually steale Beefe out of the water when Ships are here). 1749G. Lavington Enthus. Meth. & Papists ii. (1754) Pref. p. xxi, You have climbed up and stole the Sacred Fire from Heaven. 1830Tennyson Ode to Memory 1 Thou who stealest fire From the fountains of the past.
b. with away; rarely with other advs., as † down, † over.
c1375Sc. Leg. Saints ii. (Paul) 401 Men..stall a-way be mycht þe twa bodis of mekill mycht of petir and paule, fra quhare þai lay. 1470–85Malory Arthur iv. xiv. 137 She alyghte of her hors & thoughte for to stele awey Excalibur his swerd. 1535W. Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 392 Quietlie awa the heid tha stall. a1586Sidney Astroph. & Stella xiv, Vpon whose breast a fiercer Gripe doth tire Then did on him who first stale down the fire. 1587Higgins Mirr. Mag., Nero xii, (Letter) And bad them say, that his disciples stale his corps away. 1602Chettle Hoffmann i. (1631) B 2 b, This is Hannce Hoffmans sonne, that stole downe his fathers Anotamy from the gallowes. 1629Ford Lover's Mel. ii. ii. E 4, Shall I fetch a Barbour to steale away his rough beard, whiles he sleepes? 1816J. Wilson City of Plague ii. iv. 160 Many look With tears of sorrow on a mortal creature Whom death may steal away.
c. Of an impersonal agent.
1844A. B. Welby Poems (1867) 60 The wind! that for no creature careth, Yet stealeth sweets from every thing. 1878Huxley Physiogr. 72 The heat of the sun which quietly steals vapour from every exposed piece of water.
d. To carry off (young animals) from the dam.
13..K. Alis. 1890 The tiger, that fynt y-stole Hire weolp from hire hole. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1769 Ther nas no Tygre..Whan þat hir whelpe is stole whan it is lite So crueel on the hunte as is Arcite. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. cxiii. (1495) 854 The female beer is moost cruell beest whanne her whelpys ben stollen. c1480Henryson Mor. Fab., Fox & Wolf 738 Fra the Gait he stall ane lytil Kid.
e. To carry off, abduct, kidnap (a person) secretly. Now rare.
c1386Chaucer Doctor's T. 184 My seruant..Which fro myn hous was stole vp-on a nyght. c1400Destr. Troy 13197 Þat onone in the night, þat noble he stale Fro the souerain hir Syre. c1475Henryson Poems, Bludy Serk 19 Stollin he hes the lady ȝing. 1513Douglas æneis i. x. 45 Him sall I sownd slepand staile away. 1560T. Phaer æneid x. (1562) F f iiij, Was it by my conduct, thaduoutrer stale the Sparta quene? 1592Soliman & Pers. iv. ii. 72 O wicked Turque, for to steale her hence. a1700Evelyn Diary 26 Dec. 1690, Executed..for being an accomplice with Campbell..in stealing a young heiress. 1710W. King Heathen Gods & Heroes xv. (1722) 63 She [Proserpine] was stole away by Aidoneus. 1769Blackstone Comm. iv. xv. 208 Their forcible abduction and marriage; which is vulgarly called stealing an heiress. 1788E. Inchbald Child Nat. iv. ii. 51 Amanthis is lost, gone, stole from me! 1815Scott Guy M. xi, The young Laird was stown away by a randy gipsy woman. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. iii. v, Intent on stealing Majesty to Metz.
† f. To capture (a fortress, a military position) by surprise. Obs.
13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 1778 Þay..Lyfte laddres ful longe & vpon lofte wonen, Stelen stylly þe toun er any steuen rysed. c1450Brut ii. 424 This Erle of Gascoigne..come be nyght, and stale the toune of Pounteyse of the Frensshe men, and drof hem oute. 1623Bingham Xenophon 73 It is better therefore to endeuour priuily, to steale, if we can, and to lay hold of..a peece of the void mountaine, than [etc.].
g. dial. To catch (wild-fowl). ? Obs.
1698M. Martin Voy. St. Kilda (1749) 57 Some thousands being catched, or, as they term it, Stolen every March.
4. In various applications with immaterial obj.a. To cause the loss of, take away (something valued, e.g. happiness, a person's life, etc.).
c1374Chaucer Troylus iii. 1451 O crueel day accusour of þe Ioye That nyght and loue han stole and faste y-wryen. 1570Sat. Poems Reform. xxi. 18 Thay Renigats..Hes stollin our Regentis lyfe. 1631Milton Sonn. ii. 2 How soon hath Time the suttle theef of youth Stoln on his wing my three and twentith yeer! a1721Prior Pastoral to Dr. Turner 4 Why dost thou..steal from life the needful hours of rest? 1777Sir W. Jones Palace Fortune 24 A sudden cloud his senses stole. 1793Burns Bonie Jean iii, Her heart was tint, her peace was stown. 1806G. Pinckard Notes W. Indies III. 269 Which..frequently causes us to steal another hour from the already too shortened day.
b. To take without permission (esp. a kiss). † Also (cf. sense 6) to give (a kiss) to a person.
1390Gower Conf. II. 348 If thou hast stolen eny cuss Or other thing which therto longeth. a1400–50Wars Alex. 5385 Scho..stelis to him cussis. 1584Lodge Forb. & Tris. (Shaks. Soc.) 99 Her pleasant kisse where she might steale a touch. 1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 726 Lest she should steale a kisse and die forsworne. 1598T. Bastard Chrestol. ii. ii. 28 And yet a second course he vndertakes. And steeling leaue for gayne which is so deare, A third and fourth aduenture yet he makes. a1796Burns Delia 15 O let me steal one liquid kiss! 1838Times 14 Apr. 7/3 Mr. John Cunningham..appeared to answer the charge of stealing a sly kiss from the lips of..the pretty wife of a young tonsor.
†c. To conceal improperly. (Cf. 5.) Obs.
1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3691 No pryde ne may be stole, No yn shryfte be forhole.
†d. To gain by secret or unobtrusive means. Obs.
1426Audelay Poems 53 Sum men ther ben that stelon heven, With penans, prayers, and poverte. 1605Chapman Al Fooles ii. i. 371, 378 That hath stolne By his meere industry, and that by spurts Such qualities as no wit else can match With plodding at perfection every houre... I meane, besides his dycing and his wenching, He has stolne languages, th'Italian, Spanish, [etc.].
e. To take (time) by contrivance from its ordinary employment, sleep, etc. to devote to some other purpose.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 59 Be euer diligent..whan thou hast done all thy dutyes..to stele tyme wherin thou mayst giue thy selfe all hoolly to prayer. 1712Swift Jrnl. to Stella 18 Nov., This makes me sometimes steal a week from the exactness I used to write to MD. 1758S. Hayward Serm. xvii. 515 They must frequently steal an hour to converse with him [Christ] whom they love. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 409 Both Chief Justice Hale and Lord Keeper Guildford stole some hours from the business of their courts to write on hydrostatics.
f. To gain possession of, or to entice away from another (a person's heart, affections, etc.).
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 34 b, Wherby he steleth many a soule fro god. 1587D. Fenner Song of Songs iv. 9 Sister, my spouse, my hart thou hast stole with one eye Myne hart thou hast stole, with one chayne which on thy necke doeth lye. 1590Spenser F.Q. iii. i. 37 So did she steale his heedlesse hart away. 1596Sir J. Davies Orchestra lxxxvi, And they who first Religion did ordaine, By dauncing first the peoples harts did steale. 16051st Pt. Jeronimo ii. v. 40 in Kyd's Wks. (1901) 322 Intending, as it seemed, by that sly shift, To steale away her troth. 1667J. Flavel Saint Indeed (1754) 146 Take heed..lest thy shop steal away thy heart from thy closet. a1678Chalkhill Thealma & Clearchus 108 Or hath some worthier Love Stole your Affections? 1720Ozell tr. Vertot's Rom. Rep. II. viii. 28 His expression [was]..so moving, that he stole away the Assent of all that heard him. 1720J. Welwood Pref. to Rowe's Lucan p. xxxix, The Muses had stoln away his heart from his infancy. a1797Burns Song, ‘Hark the Mavis’ v, Thou hast stown my very heart. 1835James Gipsy i, How many would steal from one the affection of one's mistress or wife!
†g. To adopt or ‘borrow’ (what belongs to another art). Obs.
1581Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 22 Both he [sc . Herodotus] and all the rest that followed him, either stole or vsurped of Poetrie, their passionate describing of passions [etc.].
h. to steal (the) picture, scene, show: (colloq. (orig. U.S.)) in theatrical contexts, to outshine unexpectedly the rest of the cast; also transf., to become or make oneself the centre of attention; to steal (one's) thunder: see thunder n. 3 c.
1928Amer. Speech III. 368 If a ‘part’ actor leaves a better impression on the audience and critics than the ‘star’,..the ‘part’ actor or actress ‘steals’ the picture. 1934Everyman 24 Aug. 201/2 (caption) It seems we've stolen the show, Aussie. 1937H. G. Wells Brynhild ix. 143 He appeared in bright new flannels,..the best-looking author in the bunch. He stole the picture. 1941F. Scott Fitzgerald Last Tycoon iii. 37 ‘Somebody been catching flies on him?’ she asked—a phrase for stealing scenes. 1942E. Waugh Put out More Flags iii. 189 They came to the little party.., and stole the scene. 1963Auden Dyer's Hand 185 Short of cutting him [sc. Falstaff] out of the play altogether, no producer can prevent him from stealing the show. 1979Tucson Mag. Jan. 55/3 Kate Gardiner could well steal the show in the delectable role of Dorine.
5. a. To effect or accomplish clandestinely or unperceived; to get opportunity for (an action) by contrivance.
1625Bacon Ess., Of Gt. Place (Arb.) 289 Alwayes, when thou changest thine Opinion, or Course, professe it plainly and declare it..; And doe not thinke to steale it. 1681H. More Expos. Dan. 53 He might spring up with them and amongst them, but in such an occult manner, and so unawares, as if he had stoln his growth behind them. 1682N. O. Boileau's Lutrin iv. 31 What a mad coil you keep here, That people cannot steal a Nap, or sleep here? 1758C. Lennox Henrietta v. ix. (1761) II. 267, I will make you no apology for stealing a visit to her. 1826Hood Recipe for Civiliz. 86 When their force Can't take a town by open courage They steal an entry with its forage. 1857J. Hamilton Less. Gt. Biog. 264 He did not steal an interview [with Jesus], nor come, like Nicodemus, disguised.
†b. With complementary adj. or adv. to steal oneself drunk: to get drunk secretly. to steal down (Sc.): to cause to fall, ruin, by secret means.
1570Sat. Poems Reform. xvii. 101 Thy poysoun did doun steill Not only him quhom wofully thow woundit; Bot [etc.]. 1596Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. II. vii. 22 Machabie deuyses to cal Bancho and Fleanch..till a banket, that be sik a trayne quyetlie he may steil thame doune. 1670T. Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 67 So accordingly he stole himself drunk. 1719London & Wise Compl. Gard. 41 The difference of hot or cold Summers does steal more considerably forward, or set back the same Fruits, of one and the same Climate and Season.
c. To direct (a look), breathe (a sigh) furtively.
a1586Sidney Arcadia i. (Sommer) 62 b, As I..stale a looke on her. 1697Dryden Alexander's Feast 87 And, now and then, a Sigh he stole. 1711Addison Spect. No. 106 ⁋1, I have observed them stealing a Sight of me over an Hedge. 1794Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxxi, She stole a glance at them. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. iii. (1878) 33 He stole a shy pleased look at me.
†d. to steal a marriage: to get married secretly. Obs. [Cf. Gr. γάµον κλέπτειν.]
c1450Merlin ii. 363 This mariage wolde he haue stole hadde no Merlin I-be. 1562Child-Marr. 189 They did steale a mariage without banes askinge. 1711Steele Spect. No. 133 ⁋7 A story I had heard of his intending to steal a marriage without the privity of us his intimate friends. 1731–8Swift Pol. Conversat. 130 You have stolen a Wedding it seems... How does your Lady unknown? 1782F. Burney Cecilia x. vi, ‘Your daughter..has made a little change in her situation, which she was anxious you should hear from myself.’ ‘Ha! ha! stolen a match upon you I warrant!’ cried the facetious Mr. Hobson. a1797H. Walpole Mem. Reign Geo. III (1845) III. x. 326 He..had stolen a marriage with an idiot sister of the Spanish Charles Townshend. c1820S. Rogers Italy, Marguerite de Tours 45 They stole a match and fled.
e. to steal a march: in military sense, to succeed in moving troops without the knowledge of the enemy; hence gen. to get a secret advantage over a rival or opponent. Const. on, upon, † of.
1716Addr. Edinb. 27 Mar. in Lond. Gaz. No. 5422/2 We saw him..steal a March for our Preservation. 1740Cibber Apol. (1756) I. 143 After we had stolen some few days march upon them. 1771Smollett Humph. Cl. 6 May (1815) 73 She yesterday wanted to steal a march of poor Liddy. 1834Marryat P. Simple xxiii, We must be off early to-morrow, while these good people are in bed, and steal a long march upon them. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xv. III. 519 Those who had intended to gain the victory by stealing a march now disclaimed that intention. 1856Reade Never too Late xxii, Happening to awake earlier than usual, he stole a march on his nurses, and..walked out and tottered into the jail. 1885‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus 100 He shan't have the chance: we'll steal a march on him this time.
† f. To get a hasty glance at. Obs.
1731Fielding Letter Writers i. ii. 7 Will you go steal an Act or two of the new Tragedy? Rak. Not I—I go to no Tragedy.
g. In various games, esp. Cricket, Golf, Baseball, Basketball, and Ice Hockey (see quots.). Also fig. Also intr. (in Baseball), esp. in to steal home.
1836New Sporting Mag. Oct. 361 [The batsmen's scores] added to the byes they stole, and the wide balls bowled, sufficed to make a hands of eighty-six runs. 1851J. Pycroft Cricket Field x. 196 A sharp runner..will often try a long-stop's temper by stealing runs. 1857Hughes Tom Brown ii. viii, He has stolen three byes in the first ten minutes. 1862Sunday Mercury (N.Y.) 13 July 6/2 Creighton..made his base by a missed fly-catch of Sawyer's; Brainard and Young getting their runs by stealing in on the pitcher and catcher. 1874Chadwick Base Ball Man. 47 If he [the batsman] steal home on the catcher or pitcher. 1881Forgan Golfer's Handbk. 35 Steal, to hole an unlikely ‘put’ from a distance. 1882Daily Tel. 24 June, He next took Ramsay round to the leg boundary, and shortly stole a single off him also. 1891N. Crane Baseball iv. 32 His antics in trying to deceive the fielders and steal a base excite great amusement among the..spectators. 1895Manson Sporting Dict., Stealing a Base. When a base runner makes his next base by leading off and then running while the ball is being thrown by the pitcher to the catcher. 1895Times 19 Feb. 11/4 The Englishmen were able to steal many runs. 1897Encycl. Sport I. 247/1 (Cricket) Steal runs, to get a run for a hit, when no run seems reasonably possible. 1936Philadelphia Rec. 31 July 15/1 No Landon speech is likely to startle anybody. You know in advance that he will never take a full cut at the ball, try to steal a base or catch a line drive with one hand. 1938M. Dutton Hockey vi. 110 It is hard enough to steal the puck in your own end zone, without trying to regain a lost puck in the other fellow's. 1942C. Bee Basketball Library IV. ii. 7 An attempt to ‘steal’ the ball from a good dribbler often leaves the defensive player out of position. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 5 Feb. 18/3 Ballantyne was ahead 5–3 going into the sixth end, but Lawrie tied it up in the seventh and stole one in each of eighth and ninth for the victory. 1978Boston Globe 4 Jan. 42/2 Hollins stole the ball with seven seconds to play and scored.
6. a. To place, move, or convey stealthily. Now somewhat rare. † to steal on: to put on (one's clothes, etc.) hastily, so as not to be observed (obs.). to steal (some one or something) in: to smuggle in, procure secret entrance for.
a1300Cursor M. 3872 Bot þar [Laban] did a trecheri, For þan [Jacob] had may rachell wedd, Lia he stall vn-til his bed. c1555J. Bradford in Coverdale Godly Lett. Martyrs (1564) 470 Pray Walshe to steale you in, as I hope he will doe. a1620Webster Appius & Virg. iv. i, Thy violent Lust shall like the biting of the invenom'd Aspick, steal thee to hell. 1633G. Herbert Temple, Love-unknown 43, I bath'd it often, ev'n with holy bloud, Which at a board, while many drunk base wine, A friend did steal into my cup for good. 1648J. Beaumont Psyche vi. xlvi, Know'st thou why He gathers up his Tail's ashamed Train, And steals it round about his scaly thigh? 1649Davenant Love & Hon. iv. i. 65 Steale on this funerall habit. 1654–66Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 641, I stole the Letter into Monyma's hand. a1685R. North Autobiog. i. (1887) 3 But there was another use made of this botle, for our Mother would steal into it slices of Rubarb, and..this way, it was stole upon us, and not tainted with aversions. 1710[Bedford] Vind. Ch. Eng. 179 The Words..were..stol'n into the..Article. a1712Fountainhall Decis. (1759) I. 292 The Merchants did undersel them, by stealing in English cloth that was prohibit. 1712Steele Spectator No. 354 ⁋3 The Prentice speaks his Disrespect by an extended Finger, and the Porter by stealing out his Tongue. 1718Prior Solomon ii. 428, I..from beneath his Head, at dawning Day, With softest Care have stol'n my Arm away. c1730Ramsay For Sake Somebody iii, I'll..steal on linens fair and clean. 1752H. Walpole Let. to Mann 28 Oct., [Lord Coventry] coursed his wife round the table, on suspecting that she had stolen on a little red, seized her, scrubbed it off by force with a napkin, and then told her, that [etc.]. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 17 He stole a bill for 160l. into his hand, saying..there is what I owe you. 1779Johnson L.P., Savage III. 367 Nor [did he] ever read his verses without stealing his eyes from the page, to discover, in the faces of his audience, how they were affected. 1792S. Rogers Pleas. Mem. ii. 10 Whose constant vigils chase the chilling damp Oblivion steals upon her vestal lamp. 1817Moore Lalla Rookh (ed. 2) 165 If the sweet hours of intercourse so imprudently allowed them should have stolen into his heart the same fatal fascination as into hers. 1818Scott Hrt. Midl. xxx, The hag..now unclosed her hand, stole it away from the weapon, and suffered it to fall by her side. 1821Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 199 Slily steal thy bonnet on,..And wander out with me. 1824T. Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 397 It may amuse you, to show when, and by what means, they stole this law in upon us. 1883D. C. Murray Joseph's Coat xxxiv, It was noticed that the silent two had stolen each a hand towards the other's and thus..they sat handed.
†b. To fire (a gun) stealthily. Obs.
1794Nelson in Sotheby's Catal. (1900) 26 Feb. 118 Except one general discharge and a gun now and then stole at us, we have had no opposition.
c. Of a hen: To make (her nest) in a concealed place. Also U.S. of a ewe: To bring forth (lambs) out of season.
1743W. Ellis Mod. Husbandman July xvi. 77 One of my Hen Pheasants..got Abroad, and stole her Nest. 1854Poultry Chron. I. 436 Turkey hens generally steal their nests, but do not readily forsake them, unless scared. 1859Allen New Amer. Farm Bk. (1883) 417 If young ewes have stolen lambs, they should be taken away from them immediately after yeaning. 1881Young Ev. Man his own Mechanic §979. 466 When laying every hen likes extreme privacy. This is why fowls when at liberty ‘steal’ their nests as it is called.
7. techn. To omit or suppress (some out of a usual number of parts of a structure).
a. Naut. (See quot.)
b. Netting. (? Implied in stolen ppl. a.)
1711W. Sutherland Shipbuild. Assist. 47 It's therefore very customary in many Ships to drop, or steal, as they term it, some Strakes short of the Stern.
II. To go secretly or quietly.
†8. refl. To withdraw oneself secretly or quietly. Chiefly with away. Obs. rare.[So ON. stela-sk. For the development of meaning cf. F. dérober to steal, se dérober to hide oneself.] a1300Cursor M. 3918 Laban o leue þam nicked nai, And þai bi night þam stal a way. c1386Chaucer Pard T. 282 For which as soone as it myghte be He stal hym hoom agayn to his contree. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 381 Whan the spye had wel vnderstonde all the conclucion, he stele hymself fro the company. Ibid. xxviii. 590 Alas, ye stale awaye yourself by nyghte. 1725Pope Odyss. xi. 165 So peaceful shalt thou end thy blissful days, And steal thy self from life, by slow decays.
9. a. intr. To depart or withdraw secretly or surreptitiously from a place. Chiefly with adv., as away, † forth, off, out, or const. from, out of.
1154O.E. Chron. an. 1140, & te æorl stæl ut & ferde efter Rodbert eorl of Gloucestre. c1205Lay. 15019 Heo swiþe stille stelen ut of buruwe. c1290Magdalene 540 in S.E. Leg. 477 Marie..stal a-wey from hire kunne. 1487Cely Papers (Camden) 171 Diversse of them stelyth dayly aweye and goyth to Myddelborow. 1530Palsgr. 734/2, I steale awaye, I convaye my selfe prively out of syght, or out of company. 1535W. Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 178 How Wortigerne for Dreid of Hungest staw in the Walis. 1561Norton & Sackv. Gorboduc v. ii. 40 And other sort..Stale home by silence of the secret night. a1578Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot (S.T.S.) I. 294 The Earle of Angus was stowin quyitlie out of his ludging. 1580Stow Chron. 533 (an. 1399), But when they saw the King came not, they stealed away, and left the Earle of Salisburie in manner alone. 1596in Spalding Club Misc. I. 86 Thow was apprehendit..steilling furth of the said..Adam Mairis yard, at twa houris in the morning, greyn growand bear. 1617Moryson Itin. ii. 57 The Lord Deputie..received advertisement..that Tyrone..was stolne out of Mounster with sixe hundred in his company. 1639Fuller Holy War iii. xvi. (1640) 135 Other Captains secretly stole home. 1667Dryden Ind. Emperor iv. iv, The gods are good; I'le leave her to their care, Steal from my Post, and in the Plunder share. 1704Cibber Careless Husb. v. 47 My Lady Graveairs had an Eye upon me, as I stole off. 1761Hume Hist. Eng. xxvii. II. 131 Many of them had stolen from the camp, and retired homewards. a1774Goldsm. tr. Scarron's Com. Romance (1775) II. 251 She had stole out in order to acquaint me with this. 1786F. Burney Diary 18 July, The sub-governess stole from her charges, and came to the window. 1867Morris Jason ii. 583 But made him think of some beast from his lair Stolen forth at the beginning of the night. 1869H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 267 Maria stole off to the honey. 1881Jowett Thucyd. I. 232 The inhabitants had stolen away and taken up a position on the top of the hills.
b. with advb. accusative, to steal one's way († in early use = to steal away). Now rare.
c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 2174 He..as a traytour stal his wey. 1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) VII. 101 That Edricus seenge the Danes to be inclynede, stale his weye from the hoste. c1500Three Kings' Sons 152 Some stale their wey, and lefte the places allone. 1847Mrs. A. Kerr tr. Ranke's Hist. Servia 182 During the night, he, with his Momkes, stole his way into the midst of their camp. 1884W. Collins I say No ix, Steal your way into that poor little fool's heart.
c. Hunting. to steal away. Of a hunted animal: To leave its lair unperceived and gain a start of the pursuers.
c1369Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 381 And so, at the laste, This hert Rused and staale away Fro alle the houndes a prevy way. c1400Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxxiii, To se if þe deer þat is herbowrede wolde sterte and steele away or þe lymer meved hym. 1711Budgell Spect. No. 116 ⁋5 That 'twas a Wonder they had not lost all their Sport, for want of the silent Gentleman's crying Stole Away. 1756Foote Engl. fr. Paris ii. Wks. 1799 I. 111 Hola, Sir Toby, Stole away! 1818Scott Rob Roy vi, I..soon heard, far behind, the ‘hey whoop! stole away! stole away!’ of my baffled pursuers. 1872T. Pearce Idstone Papers ii. 19 Just then..there was a rustle amongst the long grass, and a fine dog fox..stole away.
†d. fig. of things. Obs. (Distinct from 11.)
a1366Chaucer Rom. Rose 371 The tyme that..steleth from vs so priuely. c1412Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 5248 But it [prosperity] a-way gan stele Whan þei him drough to profyte singuler.
10. a. To go or come secretly or stealthily; to walk or creep softly so as to avoid observation.
a1300Cursor M. 12524 Iosep..sent him to þe yerd..For to gedir þam sum cale; And iesus still him efter stal. c1374Chaucer Troylus i. 81 And to þe Grekes ost ful pryely He stal a noon. c1475Henryson Orpheus 142 And Orpheus atour his [sc. Cerberus'] wame in stall, And nethir mare he went. 1544Betham Precepts War ii. vii. K ij, Yf he steale into the campe, by walles or ditches, dryuen by no great feare, he is worthye the same punyshment. 1577–87Harrison England ii. xiii. (1877) 246 Such of Belgie as stale over hither from the maine. a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. i. (1912) 356 [He] stale up into Pamelaes chamber. 1589Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 39 Affection is like the Snayle, which stealeth to the top of the lance by minutes. 1596Raleigh Discov. Guiana 4 The same evening there stale also abord vs in a small Canoa two Indians. 1640Suckling Ballade upon Wedding 44 Her feet beneath her Petticoat, Like little mice stole in and out. 1695Blackmore Pr. Arthur ii. 947 The timorous Hare steals from the Brakes. 1710Swift Jrnl. to Stella 2 Sept., I have stole here again to finish this letter. 1778F. Burney Evelina (1791) I. xxxiii. 168 Madame Duval..stole softly down stairs, desiring me to follow her. 1799Campbell Pleas. Hope i. 325 On Erie's banks, where tigers steal along. 1833H. Martineau Manch. Strike iii. 33 They steal to one another's houses when they think we are asleep. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iii. iii, At nightfall, President Lamoignon steals over to the Controller's. 1852Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxvii, There were..soft whisperings and foot-falls in the chamber, as one after another stole in, to look at the dead. 1859FitzGerald Omar xlii, And lately,..Came stealing through the Dusk an Angel Shape Bearing a Vessel on his Shoulder. 1877Black Green Past. ii, The Lady Sylvia..dressed and stole noiselessly down the stairs.
b. fig.
1592Greene Upst. Courtier C 4, Such vpstarts..wil at last steale by degrees into some credit by their double diligence. 1599Sandys Europæ Spec. Pref. (1632) 3 Yet, neverthelesse, since that time; there hath beene another Impression of the same stolne into the world. 1679C. Nesse Antichrist 213 It stole into the world..unsensibly, and at unawares. 1763Churchill Night 188 Calm, independent, let me steal thro' life. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 342 The child of which he is the father, if it steals into life.
†c. With to adv. Obs.
c1250Owl & Night. 1432 An go to him bi daies lihte þat er stal to bi þeostre nihte. c1290Barnabas 98 in S. Eng. Leg. 29 Ake cristine Men þat weren bi-side stelen to bi niȝte.
d. To come stealthily on or upon a person for the purpose of attack or injury.
13..King Alis. (Laud MS.) 3989 For þou hast demed þi self here þoo þou..stale byhynden on oure kyng. c1369Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 654 At the chesse..She staale on me and toke my fers. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. vii. 106 ‘Ich am wratthe’, quaþ þat wye, ‘wol gladliche smyte Boþe with ston and with staf, and stele vp-on myn enemy.’ 1399― R. Redeles iii. 21 Þo schrewed wormes, Þat steleth on þe stedis to stynge hem to deth. c1450Brut ii. 379 And aftir come þer tydynges..þat þere was a new Batayle of Frenschmen ordeyned, redy to stele on hem, and comyn towarde hym. 1508Stanbridge Vulgaria (W. de W.) B iij b, He came stelynge vpon me, Adortus est me. 1530Palsgr. 734/2, I steale upon one, I come prively upon hym, je viens a lemblée. 1577Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 156 b, The catte..stealing suddenly and swiftly vpon the mouse. 1598T. Rogers Celest. Elegies C 4 b in Lamport Garl. (Roxb.), Death stole vppon her with his Eben darte. 1680Debates Ho. Commons (1681) 115, I believe it was only to quiet our Thoughts, while Popery steals on upon us. 1684Contempl. St. Man i. vii. (1699) 77 Death steals treacherously upon us, when we least look for it. 1704Rowe Ulysses ii. i. 569 The God of Sleep Insensible and soft, had stole upon me. 1788Burns Bonie Moor-hen Chorus, Tak' some on the wing, and some as they spring, But cannily steal on a bonie moor-hen. 1821Scott Kenilw. xxix, With the stealthy step..of the cat that steals on her prey.
11. Of things.
a. Of time (with on, away): to come or go unobserved.
1590Shakes. Com. Err. iv. i. 52 The houre steales on, I pray you sir dispatch. 1592Kyd Span. Trag. iii. xi. 46 Then time steales on, And steales, and steales. 1600E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 19 But in the meane space time steales away. 1773H. More Search Happ. ii. 143 No plan e'er mark'd the duties of the day, Which stole in tasteless apathy away. 1885‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay xi, As years stole on, and he didn't care to move about much.
b. Of a condition, esp. sleep, insensibility, infirmities, etc.: To come insensibly over or on a person.
14..Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 279 Ȝif any sterynge on me stele. 1562Winȝet Cert. Tractates iii. Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 27 That be the proces of tyme vnthankful forȝetfulnes steil not vpon us. 1660Dryden Astræa Reaux 129 So on us stole our blessed change; while we Th'effect did feel but scarce the manner see. 1807–8Irving Salmag. (1824) 332 Infirmities had stolen upon him. 1812Crabbe Tales xix. 166 He began to feel Some self-approval on his bosom steal. 1827–54De Quincey Last Days Kant Wks. III. 123 The infirmities of age now began to steal upon Kant. 1834Life Adam Clarke iv. 101 Mr. Clarke..began to feel a sense of drowsiness steal over him. 1847C. Brontë J. Eyre xxviii, A kind of pleasant stupor was stealing over me.
c. Of a stream, tears, a body of vapour, a ship, etc.: To glide, or move gently and almost imperceptibly. Also with adv., along, on, out.
1626Bacon Sylva §919 The Vapour of Char-Coale..is the more dangerous, because it commeth without any Ill Smell; But stealeth on by little and little. a1678Chalkhill Thealma & Cl. 93 Anon she drops a tear That stole along her cheeks. 1709Pope Ess. Crit. 379 Now sighs steal out, and tears begin to flow. 1737[S. Berington] G. de Lucca's Mem. (1738) 62 With Tears stealing down his Cheeks. 1786Burns Vision i. xiv, Auld, hermit Aire staw thro' his woods, On to the shore. 1849Helps Friends in C. ii. ii. (1854) I. 283 Look at that ungainly puppy trying to catch the thistle⁓down as it steals up the hill. 1874M. A. Barker Station Life N. Zealand xvii. 135 The faint wreath of smoke stealing up through the calm air. 1896‘H. S. Merriman’ Flotsam i. 1 The Hooghly was stealing past the quiet bungalow built on the bank. 1898Bridges Hymn Nat. Poems (1912) 404 The white ships swim, And steal to havens far.
d. Of sound, fragrance, light: To become gradually perceptible. Const. on, upon, (the sense).
1634Milton Comus 557 At last a soft and solemn breathing sound Rose like a steam of rich distill'd Perfumes, And stole upon the Air, that even Silence Was took e're she was ware. 1777Potter æschylus, Prometh. Chain'd 12 Ah me! what sound, what softly-breathing odour Steals on my sense? 1785Burns Winter Nt. 36 When on my ear this plaintive strain, Slow, solemn, stole. c1790W. L. Bowles Sonn., ‘As one who long’, With such delight, o'er all my heart I feel, Sweet Hope! thy fragrance pure and healing incense steal. 1822Lamb Elia Ser. i. Some old Actors, You could see the first dawn of an idea stealing slowly over his countenance.
†e. To insinuate itself, find acceptance in disguise. Also, to gain influence by imperceptible degrees. Const. on. Obs.
1581Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 35 Whose pretty Allegories, stealing vnder the formall tales of Beastes, make many..begin to heare the sound of vertue. 1648J. Beaumont Psyche xx. cclxxxvi, The Art of charming Sanctity can steal upon The coldest bosom. a1661Fuller Worthies, Brecknock (1662) 23 With a smooth stream..his matter by a lawful and laudable felony, did steal secretly into the hearts of his hearers. 1805Emily Clark Banks of Douro I. 259 The society of Montague;..insensibly stole on her esteem.
† f. To operate by insensible degrees upon. Obs.
1639G. Plattes Discov. Subterr. Treas. 19 When you use them [sc. the new pots] set them in the fire at the first kindling: and so let the Fire steale upon them till they be red hot.
†g. to steal off: to diverge in an inconspicuous way. nonce-use.
1793[Earl Dundonald] Descr. Est. Culross 30 From the..main lay of the Coal..a leader of Coal steals off as it were.
†h. To develop by insensible degrees from; to pass or change insensibly into, to something else.
1660Dryden Astræa Redux 127 As wise Artists mix their Colours so That by degrees they from each other go, Black steals unheeded from the neighb'ring white. a1759Collins Epist. to Hanmer 114 Chaste and subdued the modest lights decay, Steal into shades, and mildly melt away. 1821Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 34 Buds to blossoms softly steal. 1826Disraeli Viv. Grey v. iii, A bright sun-shiny afternoon was stealing into twilight.
i. Of an event, a proposal: To come upon a person without attracting attention.
1798S. Lee Canterb. T., Young Lady's T. II. 336 Day had unobserved stolen upon them. 1819J. Marshall Constit. Opin. (1839) 161 The bill..did not steal upon an unsuspecting legislature.
III. 12. The verb-stem in combination: steal-clothes, steal-coat (see quots.); † steal-counter, ? a gamester who cheats by stealing counters (in quot. fig.); † steal-placard, one who has stolen a ‘placard’ or begging licence; † steal-truth, a heresy.
1809Edin. Rev. XIV. 143 ‘Wadds.’ This youthful amusement..is called, on the Borders, by the very appropriate name of Scotch and English. In the south of England, it has the blunter appellation of *steal-clothes. [1825Brockett N.C. Gloss., Stealy-clothes, or Watch-webs, a game.]
1816Gentl. Mag. July 36/1 In Lancashire we have a game, for which I can procure no other name than *Steal Coat.
1588Hay any Work 6 That olde *stealecounter masse priest, John O Glossester. 1601Deacon & Walker Answ. Darel 79 You are now (like a steale-counter) thus couertly creeping vnto their supposed dispossessions by prayer and fasting.
1592Nashe Saffron-Walden N 1 b, Pigmey Dicke..is such another Venerian *steale Placard as Iohn was.
1628H. Lynde Via tuta 48 By which publique notice, the *steale-truth was discouered.
▪ IV. steal, v.2 Now dial.|stiːl|
[f. steal n.1]
trans. To furnish with a handle.
1543Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees) 356 Payd to viij masons, every of them, for stelyng of ther ger, 12d. To ij prentec' for thir stelyng sylver, 2s. 1570–80Ibid. 117 For mendinge and styling four chesells. 1573in Rep. MSS. Ld. Middleton (Hist. MSS. Comm.) 434 For steeling an axe for John Dune..xij d. 1580Nottingham Rec. IV. 194 For mendyng and stelyng of a pycke iij s. vj d.
▪ V. steal
obs. form of stall n.1 |