shoplifting
nounverbattested in dialogue
The action of stealing goods from a shop, store or other place of business.
noun
- 1
The action of stealing goods from a shop, store or other place of business.
[…]William Grove for robbing his Master of twenty-sive Guineas ; and Catharine Knox for Shoplifting.
1757 December 22, The London Chronicle, Volume II: June 30 - December 31, page 594, Yesterday Afternoon a Woman well dreſs'd, was detected at Mr. Flint′s, a Haberdasher on London-Bridge, in Shoplifting, and on examining her, there were found on her ſome Goods belonging to Mr. Kennet, a Haberdasher at the ſame Place.
Shoplifting is one of the most prevalent crimes and it costs retailers millions of dollars each year.
On my first day on the watch after leaving the shoplifting squad I paraded on earlies but had completely forgotten to take my ear ring off.
- 2
A theft from a shop during trading hours.
In high school, he bleached his hair and began a series of shopliftings and bicycle thefts.
And we hardly even consider the countless robberies, shopliftings, burglaries, carjackings, kidnappings, stalkings, intimidations and harassments.
When we described the 80-20 rule, we mentioned that 5% of the stores in Danvers, Massachusetts, accounted for 50% of the reported shopliftings.
Etymology
By surface analysis, shoplift + -ing. The noun sense (from 1690) predates the verb.
verb
- 1
Also a form of shopliftpresent participle and gerund of shoplift
Forms
- plural
- shopliftings
shoplifting · The action of stealing goods from a shop, store or other place of business.
shopping · The process of buying goods or services, or searching for…shore · Land adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean,…Shore · A topographic surname from Middle English.