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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Shoplifter

Shoplifter \Shop"lift`er\, n. [Shop + lift. See Lift to steal.] One who steals anything in a shop, or takes goods privately from a shop; one who, under pretense of buying goods, takes occasion to steal.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
shoplifter

1670s, from shop (n.) + agent noun of lift (v.). Also in same sense shop-lift (1670s); shop-thief.

Wiktionary
shoplifter

n. A person who shoplifts, one who steals from shops.

WordNet
shoplifter

n. a thief who steals goods that are in a store [syn: booster, lifter]

Usage examples of "shoplifter".

The rabid determination of partizan politicians not to allow the United States to enter into any agreement with the rest of the world to stop war, the outbreaks of violence among the criminal classes, the determined efforts of the liquor interests to nullify the constitutional Prohibition amendment, the depression in business, the increase of unemployment, the strenuous effort of the agitators to make trouble between this country and Great Britain on one side and Japan on the other, all may be grouped with this pathetic spectacle of respectable women turned shoplifters as an indication of that other moral slump from idealism.

The crack dealer, the shoplifter, the welfare scammer, the chain snatcher.

Shoreditch, for she had been describing a foul slum of wretched tenements, reeking with disagreeable odors and inhabited by shoplifters, thieves and ruffians of the lowest type.

I might be working with a gang of shoplifters, confidence tricksters.

They regarded the little band of tenacious corporeal humans with grudging respect, avoiding direct eye contact like a shoplifter eluding the store detective.

He's acting like a shoplifter just stuffing the goodies under his coat, and golden boys shouldn't behave that way.

Mishal and Anahita Sufyan, who still unaccountably treated him like a kind of soul-mate, in spite of all his attempts to dissuade them, were beings who plainly admired such creatures as moonlighters, shoplifters, flichers: scam artists in general.

Lines of toothpaste and shoelaces, ranks of sunglasses and ballpoint pens guaranteed right on them to write a lifetime on butter under water, all guarded against shoplifters by a big-eyed force of Teddy bears sitting high on a shelf over the counter.

I did not want traffic jams on the highway, dented fenders in the parking lot, brawls outside the bar and grill, shoplifters in the souvenir shoppes, or witticisms from Harve Dorfer.

From the counter in front of me, a nurse gave me the once-over a store detective aims at a potential shoplifter.

Rydell would've liked to watch them get the smart tag off, but there was a run of shoplifters that night and he didn't get to see what they did to it.

Surprisingly there were only two young girls seated, one at the two-way mirror which scanned the floor for shoplifters.