cat burglar
Stealthy climbing thief
A cat burglar is a thief who enters buildings by climbing—through upper windows, across rooftops, down fire escapes—with the agility and stealth of a cat.
The term suggests skill and daring rather than crude break-ins: The cat burglar made off with jewelry from the penthouse.
Often romanticized in fiction.
Ornamental precious stones
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
- safeFree from peril
- vaultSecure storage chamber
- lootStolen valuables
mansion · museum · penthouse · estate · security · alarm · getaway · score
One who steals
- intruderUnauthorized person present
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- trespasserUnlawful entrant on property
- housebreakerOne who breaks in
second-story man · prowler · robber · larcenist · sneak thief · infiltrator · outlaw · phantom
Roam stealthily
- sneakMove with stealth
- creepStealthy, slow movement
- silentProducing no sound
- infiltrateEnter secretly to observe
undetected · furtive · stealthy · elusive · shadow · covert · discreet · tiptoe
Measure of relative size
- ropeThick twisted fibers
- grappling hookHooked climbing anchor
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- balconyRaised exterior platform
drainpipe · fire escape · rooftop · scaffold · overhang · ascend · rappel · acrobatics
Reflected solar radiance, nocturnal
- midnightTwelve o'clock at night
- darknessTotal absence of light
- nightfallOnset of darkness
- shadowLight blocked by object
twilight · dusk · nighttime · starlight · cover of night · after dark · witching hour · blackout
jewels
Ornamental precious stones
loot · mansion · museum · penthouse · estate · security · alarm · getaway · score · caper
thief
One who steals
- intruderUnauthorized person present
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- trespasserUnlawful entrant on property
housebreaker · second-story man · prowler · robber · larcenist · sneak thief · infiltrator · outlaw · phantom · raffles
prowl
Roam stealthily
infiltrate · undetected · furtive · stealthy · elusive · shadow · covert · discreet · tiptoe · ghost
scale
Measure of relative size
- ropeThick twisted fibers
- grappling hookHooked climbing anchor
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
balcony · drainpipe · fire escape · rooftop · scaffold · overhang · ascend · rappel · acrobatics · agility
moonlight
Reflected solar radiance, nocturnal
shadow · twilight · dusk · nighttime · starlight · cover of night · after dark · witching hour · blackout · lamplight
- mystery fictionwhodunit, whodunnit, sleuth, murder mystery, detective novel
- theftstealing, larceny, steal, robbery, shoplifting
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- stealthsneak, ninja, creep, spy, skulk
- thievesthief, robber, pickpocket, shoplifter, sneak thief
- thriller tropesplot twist, red herring, cliffhanger, whodunit, femme fatale
cat burglararmed robber
Thief with weapon
mugger · home invader · bank robber · carjacker · purse snatcher
cat, copycat, cats, burglar, burglary, catty, catlike, catnap, catwalk