burglar
noun /ˈbɜːɡlə(r)/
/ˈbɜːrɡlər/
- a person who enters a building illegally in order to steal
- Burglars broke into the gallery and stole dozens of priceless paintings.
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentb1- Burglars had already struck twice that week in their street.
- Police are hunting burglars who stole property worth £3 500.
- The burglar had broken in through a window.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- professional
- cat
- suspected
- …
- catch
- hunt
- break in
- steal something
- strike
- …
- alarm
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from legal French burgler or Anglo-Latin burgulator, burglator; related to Old French burgier ‘pillage’.