lift
Preserved but no longer current.
To steal, pick pockets; "there’s a clock been LIFTED," said when a watch has been stolen. The word is as old as the Border forays, and is used by Shakspeare. SHOPLIFTER is a recognised term. Old Gothic, LLIFAN, to steal; Lower Rhenish, LÖFTEN.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “lift” mean?
To steal, pick pockets; "there’s a clock been LIFTED," said when a watch has been stolen. The word is as old as the Border forays, and is used by Shakspeare. SHOPLIFTER is a recognised term. Old Gothic, LLIFAN, to steal; Lower Rhenish, LÖFTEN.
Is “lift” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.