Standard Lemma guide

pickpocket

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpɪkpɒkɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P IH1 K P AA2 K AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who steals from the pocket of a passerby, usually by sleight of hand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To pick pockets; to steal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cutpurse, dip

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: thief, stealer

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English pick Proto-Germanic *puhô Frankish *pokōbor. Old French poche Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Latin -ittus Old French -ete Anglo-Norman poketbor. Middle English pocket English pocket English pickpocket From pick + pocket.

Across languages

Translations

105 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: xhepist — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Arabic: نَشَّال (naššāl) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Arabic: نشال (naššāl) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Armenian: գրպանահատ (grpanahat) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Azerbaijani: cibgir — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Azerbaijani: cibəgirən — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Bulgarian: джебчия (džebčija) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Catalan: carterista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Catalan: escurabutxaques — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Chinese Mandarin: 扒手 (páshǒu) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Chinese Mandarin: 三隻手 /三只手 (sānzhīshǒu) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Czech: kapsář — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Danish: lommetyv — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Dutch: zakkenroller — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Dutch: gauwdief — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Esperanto: poŝoŝtelisto — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Estonian: taskuvaras — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Finnish: taskuvaras — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • French: pickpocket — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • French: voleur à la tire — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Galician: carteirista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Georgian: ჯიბგირი (ǯibgiri) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • German: Taschendieb — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • German: Taschendiebin — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Greek: πορτοφολάς (portofolás) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Hebrew: כייס (kayás) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Hindi: गाँठकट (gā̃ṭhkaṭ) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Hungarian: zsebtolvaj — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Hungarian: zsebmetsző — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Icelandic: vasaþjófur — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Indonesian: pencopet — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Indonesian: copet — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Irish: peasghadaí — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Irish: piocaire póca — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Italian: borseggiatore — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Italian: borsaiolo — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Japanese: 掏摸 (suri) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Javanese: copèt — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Khmer: ចោរលុកហោប៉ោ (cao-luk-hao-pao) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Korean: 소매치기 (somaechigi) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Ladino: yankesidji — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Lao: ຄົນລ່ວງກະເປົາ (khon lūang ka pao) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Latin: manticulātor — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Latin: sacculārius — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Macedonian: џе́пчија (džépčija) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Malay: penyeluk saku — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Māori: ringa kamakama — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Mongolian: халаасны хулгайч (xalaasny xulgajč) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Norman: filou — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lommetyv — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lommetjuv — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: lommetjuv — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Polish: kieszonkowiec — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Portuguese: punguista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Portuguese: batedor de carteira — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Portuguese: carteirista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Romanian: hoț de buzunare — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Romanian: pungaș — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Russian: карма́нный вор (karmánnyj vor) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Russian: карма́нник (karmánnik) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Russian: щипа́ч (ščipáč) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Serbo-Croatian: џепарош — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Serbo-Croatian: džeparoš — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Slovene: žepar — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Slovene: žeparka — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Spanish: carterista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Spanish: bolsista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Spanish: punguista — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Spanish: chorizo — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Spanish: punga — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Swahili: mchopozi — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Swedish: ficktjuv — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Tagalog: mandurukot — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Telugu: జేబుదొంగ (jēbudoṅga) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Telugu: కత్తెరదొంగ (katteradoṅga) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Thai: นักแซ้ง (nák-sáeng) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Thai: มือกาว (meu-gaao) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Thai: นักล้วงกระเป๋า (nák-lúuang-grà-bpǎo) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Turkish: dızcı — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Turkish: kapkaççı — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Turkish: yankesici — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Ukrainian: кишенько́вий зло́дій (kyšenʹkóvyj zlódij) — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Vietnamese: kẻ móc túi — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Yoruba: jáwójáwó — one who steals from the pocket of a passerby
  • Chinese Mandarin: 扒竊 /扒窃 (páqiè) — to steal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 掏腰包 (tāo yāobāo) — to steal
  • Esperanto: poŝoŝteli — to steal
  • Finnish: tehdä taskuvarkaus — to steal
  • Finnish: varastaa taskusta — to steal
  • Finnish: varastaa taskuista — to steal
  • German: bestehlen — to steal
  • German: Taschendiebstahl machen — to steal
  • Italian: borseggiare — to steal
  • Japanese: 掏る — to steal
  • Portuguese: punguear — to steal
  • Portuguese: bater carteira — to steal
  • Spanish: bolsear — to steal
  • Spanish: punguear — to steal
  • Spanish: carterear — to steal
  • Spanish: bolsiquear — to steal
  • Spanish: pungar — to steal
  • Tagalog: mandukot — to steal
  • Turkish: çarpmak — to steal
  • Turkish: dızlamak — to steal
  • Vietnamese: móc túi — to steal
Real reading context

pickpocket in complete knowledge articles