shoplifting
nounEtymology By surface analysis, shoplift + -ing. The noun sense (from 1690) predates the verb.
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.1724, The Chronological Diary For the Year 1724, page 45:
- 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.
2 more examples
- Shoplifting is one of the most prevalent crimes and it costs retailers millions of dollars each year.2006, Gennaro F. Vito, Jeffrey R. Maahs, Ronald M. Holmes, Criminology: Theory, Research, And Policy, page 337:
- 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.2007, Paul W. Browning, The Good Guys Wear Blue, page 193:
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.2000, Elmer H Johnson, Carol Johnson, Linking Community and Corrections in Japan, page 180:
- And we hardly even consider the countless robberies, shopliftings, burglaries, carjackings, kidnappings, stalkings, intimidations and harassments.2004, “An American”, in Arlington′s Blood, iUniverse, page 82:
1 more example
- When we described the 80-20 rule, we mentioned that 5% of the stores in Danvers, Massachusetts, accounted for 50% of the reported shopliftings.2012, Lawrence Fennelly, Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention, 5th edition, page 171:
- Derived terms
- antishoplifting, droplifting, kamikaze shoplifting, proplifting, softlifting