A burglar is a thief who enters a house or other building by force.
Burglars broke into their home.
Synonyms: housebreaker, thief, robber, pilferer More Synonyms of burglar
burglar in British English
(ˈbɜːɡlə)
noun
a person who commits burglary; housebreaker
Word origin
C15: from Anglo-French burgler, from Medieval Latin burglātor, probably from burgāre to thieve, from Latin burgus castle, fortress, of Germanic origin
burglar in American English
(ˈbɜrglər)
noun
a person who commits burglary
Word origin
Anglo-L burglator, altered by assoc. with L latro, thief (orig., hired servant < Gr latris: see -latry) < OFr burgeor, burglar; ult. < LL burgus: see bourgeois
Examples of 'burglar' in a sentence
burglar
Fear hair burglars stealing it in the night and put it in a bank vault for safe keeping?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
POLICE have tweeted a suspected serial burglar urging her to stop ignoring them.
The Sun (2017)
She was terrified that there were burglars in the house, that it wasn't her house and that she wasbeing kept there against her will.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So what is reasonable force on burglars?
The Sun (2012)
These burglars can get pretty annoyed when they come into your house.
The Sun (2011)
She left the camera on and he saw two burglars appear in the hallway.
The Sun (2012)
How many coppers does it take to catch a burglar?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The burglars attempted to steal gold from the house.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That means burglars will get all they deserve.
The Sun (2012)
Can you imagine what would happen if they put as much effort into catching burglars?
The Sun (2010)
It can also make it harder for burglars to get away if disturbed.
The Sun (2014)
It is as if a burglar invaded your house and you were jailed for failing to compel him to leave.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The burglars attempted to steal gold.
The Sun (2016)
Yes, the cat burglars are out.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I suppose it makes a change from cat burglars.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The alleged burglars forced them to strip and bound their ankles and wrists, wrapping their heads in towels.
The Sun (2009)
A new law protects people who use force on burglars but only if they are inside their homes.
The Sun (2013)
A farmer was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he accidentally shot two suspected burglars while aiming at a fox.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Who knows if I was faced with a burglar in my house?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He phoned the neighbour, only to discover that he was away, then spied two burglars running from the house.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
burglar
British English: burglar /ˈbɜːɡlə/ NOUN
A burglar is a thief who breaks into houses and steals things.
Burglars broke into their home.
American English: burglar
Arabic: لَصّ الـمَنازِل
Brazilian Portuguese: assaltante
Chinese: 夜贼
Croatian: provalnik
Czech: lupič
Danish: tyv
Dutch: inbreker
European Spanish: ladrón casas
Finnish: murtovaras
French: cambrioleur
German: Einbrecher
Greek: διαρρήκτης
Italian: scassinatore
Japanese: 不法侵入者
Korean: 강도
Norwegian: innbruddstyv
Polish: włamywacz
European Portuguese: assaltante
Romanian: spărgător
Russian: взломщик
Latin American Spanish: ladrón
Swedish: inbrottstjuv
Thai: ขโมย
Turkish: hırsız
Ukrainian: грабіжник
Vietnamese: kẻ trộm
Chinese translation of 'burglar'
burglar
(ˈbəːɡləʳ)
n(c)
窃(竊)贼(賊) (qièzéi) (个(個), gè)
see usage note
thief
(noun)
Definition
a person who illegally enters a property to commit a crime