purloinern.

1557 R. Edgeworth Serm. very Fruitfull f. ccc There were twelue rulers, or maister purueyours assigned by the Kinge..beside..some purloyners, by suche the people were greuouslye oppressed.

1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. vii. 116 Gleaners of other mens goods and pillers and purloiners.

1606 S. Gardiner Doomes-day Bk. 95 Barterers, purloyners of the Bible.

1668 T. Shadwell Sullen Lovers iii. 46 I do likewise hereby attest that he is no Purloiner of other mens Works, the general fame and opinion notwithstanding.

1711 J. Swift Examiner No. 29. 2/2 Why these Purloiners of the Publick, cause such a Clutter to be made about their Reputations.

1791 J. West Misc. Poems 99 Britain..Has nurs'd the bold purloiner of thy song. The felon nymph, who dares thy lay transcribe.

1823 I. D'Israeli Curiosities of Lit. 2nd Ser. III. 74 We have both forgers and purloiners..in the republic of letters!

1896 New Eng. Mag Dec. 478/2 The young purloiner of custards was again hauled before the tribunal.

1918 J. Conrad Nostromo (new ed.) Pref. p. ix It dawned upon me that the purloiner of the treasure need not necessarily be a confirmed rogue.

1941 L. Fischer Men & Politics ii. xiv. 252 They knew that the GPU would persist in the search for the purloiners of an American journalist's passport.

1998 Guardian (Nexis) 16 Apr. 20 A New Labour that believes in markets, abandons equality..and has redefined social justice as the ability to work, is, in part, a purloiner of the rightist agenda.