pickpocket

noun

pick·​pock·​et ˈpik-ˌpä-kət How to pronounce pickpocket (audio)
: a thief who picks pockets

Examples of pickpocket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the train station, she's again treated with kindness and respect by the ticket salesman, who advises her on the safest way to travel, and warns her about the city's pickpockets and predators. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025 Currently available at a 27 percent discount, this slim messenger bag is complete with several pockets and designed to ward off pickpockets with a five-point anti-theft system. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2025 The secret to pickpocket prevention: zippered pockets How did Smaistrla evade the Paris pickpocket? Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024 From the slums of Victorian London, the Baker Street Four of the series are Billy, who see himself as the brains of the band of urchins, Tom, an acrobat and ace pickpocket, and Charlotte, the resourceful one of the group. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pickpocket

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pickpocket was in 1591

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pickpocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickpocket. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

pickpocket

noun
pick·​pock·​et ˈpik-ˌpäk-ət How to pronounce pickpocket (audio)
: a thief who steals from pockets and purses

Legal Definition

pickpocket

noun
pick·​pock·​et
: a thief who surreptitiously steals money or valuables from the pockets or person of an individual

More from Merriam-Webster on pickpocket

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