pilfer

verb
🔊/ˈpɪlfə(r)/
🔊/ˈpɪlfər/
[intransitive, transitive]
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they pilfer
🔊/ˈpɪlfə(r)/
🔊/ˈpɪlfər/
he / she / it pilfers
🔊/ˈpɪlfəz/
🔊/ˈpɪlfərz/
past simple pilfered
🔊/ˈpɪlfəd/
🔊/ˈpɪlfərd/
past participle pilfered
🔊/ˈpɪlfəd/
🔊/ˈpɪlfərd/
-ing form pilfering
🔊/ˈpɪlfərɪŋ/
🔊/ˈpɪlfərɪŋ/
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  1. to steal things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where you work偷窃(小东西);小偷小摸;(尤指员工)偷窃
    • pilfer (from somebody/something) He was caught pilfering.他行窃时被抓个正着。🔊🔊
    • pilfer something (from somebody/something) She regularly pilfered stamps from work.她常从工作单位顺手牵羊拿走邮票。🔊🔊
    Topics Crime and punishmentc2
    Word Originlate Middle English (as a noun in the sense ‘action of pilfering, something pilfered’): from Old French pelfrer ‘to pillage’, of unknown origin.