prigmann.
/ˈprɪɡm(ə)n/, U.S. /ˈprɪɡm(ə)n/ Now historical.
A thief; = prig n.3 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > thief > petty thief or pilferer > [noun]
mitcher?c1225
nimmera1325
pilferer1350
truffer1485
lurcher1528
picker1549
filcher1557
purloiner1557
prig1567
prigger1567
prigman1567
fingerer1575
piker1590
prag1592
nibbler1598
lurch-man1603
petty larcener1640
budge1673
catch-cloaka1679
prigster1682
sutler1699
marauder1764
snib1823
chicken thief1840
lurker1841
souvenir hunter1862
robberling1865
jackdaw1887
miker1890
frisker1892
bower-bird1926
jagoff1931
magpie1944
slockster-
1567 T. Drant tr. Horace Pistles in tr. Horace Arte of Poetrie sig. Hij A pridgeman from him pryuilie His money did purloyne.
1575 J. Awdely Fraternitye of Vacabondes (new ed.) sig. A2 A Prygman goeth with a stycke in hys hand like an idle person. His propertye is to steale cloathes of the hedge..or els filtch Poultry.
1892 W. Besant London vi. 318 The ‘prigger of prancers’, a horse thief; the ruffler, the swigman and prigman, are also gone, but their descendants remain with us, zealous in the pursuit of kindred callings.
1967 Post Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin) 17 Oct. a14/4 The convenience of being able to spread the laundry on sunny lawns and hedges was offset by the hazards of washday thieves, or ‘Prygmen’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1567