burglar

Borrowed from British Medieval Latin burglātor, from Old French burgeor (“burglar”), from Medieval Latin burgātor (“burglar”), from burgō (“to commit burglary”), from Late Latin burgus (“fortified town”), probably from Frankish *burg (“fortress”), from Proto-Germanic *burgz, *burgiją (“borough, watch-tower”). The -l- may have been inserted under influence from Latin latro (“thief”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɜːɡlə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɝɡlɚ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ɡlə(ɹ)

burglar (plural burglars)

1. A person who breaks in to premises with the intent of committing theft.

   The burglar made off with a large diamond from the museum.

• burglarizer (rare)
• housebreaker

burglar (third-person singular simple present burglars, present participle burglaring, simple past and past participle burglared)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To commit burglary; to burgle.
   • 1901, Emma Orczy, The Robbery in Phillimore Terrace:

     The latter, with another constable, remained to watch the burglared premises both back and front, […]

• robber
• thief