purloin

Purloin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Purloined; p. pr. & vb. n. Purloining.]

Etymology: [OF. purloignier, porloignier, to retard, delay; pur, por, pour, for (L. pro) + loin far, far off (L. longe). See Prolong, and cf. Eloign.]

To take or carry away for one's self; hence, to steal; to take by theft; to filch. Had from his wakeful custody purloined The guarded gold. Milton. when did the muse from Fletcher scenes purloin Dryden.

1 other Webster entry under this spelling

Purloin, v. i.

To practice theft; to steal. Titus ii. 10.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for purloin; he lists it under abstract.

Where he writes about it:

The central idea of withdrawing makes abstract in common speech a euphemism for appropriate (unlawfully), purloin, steal. — from abstract

Synonyms

abstract appropriate detach discriminate distinguish distract divert eliminate remove separate steal take away withdraw

Antonyms

add combine complete conjoin fill up increase restore strengthen unite

etymology Webster’s online