cat burglar
Definition
Noun: A thief who gains entry to a building, typically a residence, by climbing to an upper floor through windows, drainpipes, or other exterior structures, often with great agility and stealth.
Usage
This term specifically describes a type of criminal whose method involves skillful, quiet, and acrobatic entry, usually into apartments or houses. It emphasizes the burglar's stealth and climbing ability, likened to a cat's.
Examples
- The police were searching for the cat burglar who had been targeting luxury apartments on the high floors.
- She installed security bars after hearing reports of a cat burglar in the neighborhood.
- The cat burglar entered the penthouse by scaling the balcony railing from the floor below.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe someone who moves with exceptional stealth and agility in non-criminal contexts, though this is less common.
- He moved through the crowded party like a cat burglar, unnoticed by everyone.
Variants and Related Words
- Second-story man: (noun, informal) A synonym for cat burglar, emphasizing entry through upper floors.
- Burglar: (noun) The general term for a person who illegally enters a building to commit theft.
Synonyms
- Housebreaker
- Intruder
- Second-story thief
Antonyms
- Security guard
- Law-abiding citizen
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To have the stealth of a cat burglar: Used to describe someone who is extremely quiet and sneaky.
- The spy had the stealth of a cat burglar, slipping past all the guards.
Noun
-
a burglar who unlawfully breaks into and enters another person's house
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