† ˈpilfery Obs.
Forms: 5 pylfry, 6–7 pilfry, -rie, pilfery, -erie, 7 pilfrey.
[app. in origin a variant of pelferie, pelfry (a. OF. *pelferie, peuferie); but from the first denoting the action of F. pelfrer ‘to pillage, plunder, rob’, rather than the concrete ‘booty, spoil’, and afterwards associated with the special sense of pilfer v.]
1. The action of plundering or pillaging; robbery.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 630 To vacabondys..that lokyd for pylfry & ryfflynge. 1577 Harrison England ii. x. (1877) i. 219 What notable roberies, pilferies [etc.] I need not to rehearse. |
2. Petty theft, pilfering, peculation.
| 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 17 To folow profit earnestlie but meddle not with pilferie. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1595) 1069 Lucius Pella..was accused and conuicted of robbery, and pilferie in his office. 1628 Sir R. Le Grys tr. Barclay's Argenis 148 A seruant had done a pilfery; he fled and was pursued by his master. 1720 Strype Stow's Surv. I. ii. ii. 10/1 For the restraining of which Naughtiness and Pilferies, the said John had again purchased it. |
| attrib. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xix. (Arb.) 228 To excuse a fault..as to say of a great robbery, that it was but a pilfry matter. |
3. The produce of plundering or pilfering; stolen or pilfered property.
| 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 17 b, You slowe spirited Saturnists, that haue nothing but the pilfries of your penne. 1626 T. H[awkins] Caussin's Holy Crt. 301 As one should pull a pilfry out of a theeues coffer. |