yegg

A yegg carefully cracks open a safe in a dark room.

Definition

Noun: (slang, originally American) a safecracker or a thief who breaks into safes, often by using specialized tools or explosives.

Usage Examples

• (A thief who breaks into safes.)
• (A safecracker in fictional stories.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work as a yegg": to engage in safecracking as a profession.
  • He learned the trade from an older yegg in prison. (He was trained in safecracking by an experienced thief.)

Variants and Related Words

• Yeggman (n): an alternative term for a yegg, a safecracker.
  • The yeggman used nitroglycerin to blow open the vault. (The safecracker used explosives.)

Synonyms

• Safecracker: a person who breaks into safes.
• Thief: a person who steals.
• Burglar: a person who illegally enters buildings to steal.

Related Idioms

• "a yegg's tool": a specialized instrument used for safecracking, such as a drill or torch.
  • The detective found a yegg's tool hidden in the suspect's bag. (A tool used for breaking safes.)