cat-burglar
Definition
Noun: - A thief who enters buildings by climbing to upper floors, often using agility and stealth. This term specifically refers to a burglar who gains access through windows, balconies, or roofs, often by scaling walls or drainpipes.
Usage Examples
- (A thief who climbs to reach high floors.)
- (A thief specializing in climbing to upper levels.)
Advanced Usage
- "cat-burglar style": a method of theft involving climbing and stealth.
- The robbery was carried out cat-burglar style, with no signs of forced entry at ground level. (The thief climbed to gain access.)
- "cat-burglar skills": abilities related to climbing, balancing, and quiet movement.
- He used his cat-burglar skills to scale the side of the building in the dark. (He employed climbing and stealth techniques.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cat burglar (n): the standard spelling, sometimes written as two words or hyphenated.
- A cat burglar is often portrayed in films as a nimble, masked figure. (The same meaning as "cat-burglar".)
- Burglar (n): a person who illegally enters a building to steal.
- The burglar broke the lock on the back door. (A general thief, not necessarily a climber.)
Synonyms
- Second-story man: a thief who enters buildings through upper-floor windows.
- The police suspect a second-story man is responsible for the series of apartment thefts. (A burglar who targets upper floors.)
- Housebreaker: a person who breaks into a house to steal.
- The housebreaker was caught after a neighbor reported suspicious activity. (A general term for a residential burglar.)
Related Idioms
- Cat burglar is itself a set phrase; no common idioms directly derived from it.
- "Like a cat burglar": used to describe someone moving very quietly and stealthily.
- She crept through the house like a cat burglar, not making a sound. (She moved with extreme stealth and silence.)
Notes on Usage
- The term "cat-burglar" emphasizes the method of entry (climbing) rather than the act of stealing itself. It is often used in crime fiction and news reports to describe a skilled, agile thief. The hyphen is common but not mandatory; "cat burglar" (two words) is also widely accepted.