{
    "term": "thief",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person who steals something from another person or place",
            "labels": "(British English)(North American English)(British English)(North American English)(especially British English)(especially British English)(especially North American English)(especially British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a **car/jewel thief**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a gang of thieves"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Thieves stole** £70 000 worth of jewellery from his home."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **petty thief ***(= who steals items of quite low value)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is the fourth time the shop has been targeted by thieves."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A thief snatched her handbag containing her wages."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The alarm is usually sufficient to deter a would-be thief."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The thief struck while the family were out."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Crime and punishment"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["would-be", "common", "petty"],
                "… of thieves": ["gang"],
                "verb + thief": ["catch"],
                "thief + verb": [
                    "snatch something",
                    "steal something",
                    "take something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that even criminals have standards of behaviour that they respect",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very friendly, especially in a way that makes other people suspect that something wrong, illegal or dishonest is involved in the situation",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/θiːf/",
                "audio": "th/thief/thief__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/θiːvz/",
                "audio": "th/thief/thieves__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/θiːf/",
                "audio": "th/thief/thief__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/θiːvz/",
                "audio": "th/thief/thieves__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English thīof, thēof, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dief and German Dieb, also to theft."
}