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/

jump to other results

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.

BNC: 33480 COCA: 24927

pilfer