burglar

[ bur-gler ]

noun

1. a person who commits burglary.

burglar

/ ˈbɜːɡlə /

noun

1. a person who commits burglary; housebreaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of burglar¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Anglo-French burgler (compare Anglo-Latin burg(u)lātor ), perhaps from unattested Old French borgl(er) “to plunder, pillage” (from unattested Gallo-Romance būriculāre, equivalent to unattested būric(āre) (unattested Old Low Franconian būrj(an) “to dart at, pounce upon” + unattested Vulgar Latin -icāre verb suffix; compare Old French burgier “to strike, hit”) + -ulāre verb suffix) + Anglo-French -er -er ²; -ar ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of burglar¹

C15: from Anglo-French burgler , from Medieval Latin burglātor , probably from burgāre to thieve, from Latin burgus castle, fortress, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

In it, Arthur Conan-Doyle's hero waits in a vault for burglars planning to tunnel in.

From BBC

A scary situation unfolded early Halloween morning when an AR-15-wielding vigilante mistakenly fired at San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies while trying to pursue a group of suspected burglars, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

A burglar who attempted to evade capture by police by swimming across a lake has been jailed.

From BBC

Officials are investigating a Long Beach school safety officer who fired their gun at a suspected burglar on a high school campus Friday morning.

From Los Angeles Times

The burglar left her a note saying: "Don't worry, be happy, eat up and scratch."

From BBC

Related Words

• crook
• robber
• thief