furtive

furtive
\ \ [15] Etymologically, someone who is furtivecarries things away like a thief’. The word comes via Old French furtif from Latin furtīvusstealthy, hidden’, a derivative of furtumtheft’, which in turn was based on fūrthief’.
\ \ This was either borrowed from or related to Greek phórthief’, which came ultimately from Indo-European *bher- ‘carry’ (source of English bear) and thus meant literally ‘someone who carries things off’. A ferret is etymologically a ‘furtive’ animal.
\ \ Cf.BEAR, FERRET

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Furtive — Fur tive, a. [L. furtivus, fr. furtum theft, fr. fur thief, akin to ferre to bear: cf. F. furtif. See {Fertile}.] Stolen; obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret; stealthy; as, a furtive look. Prior. [1913 Webster] A hasty and furtive… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • furtive — I adjective backstair, catlike, clandestine, cloaked, concealed, covert, crafty, cunning, deceitful, evasive, feline, furtivus, hangdog, hidden, indirect, insidious, masked, mysterious, private, secret, secretive, shady, shifty, shrouded, sly,… …   Law dictionary

  • furtive — late 15c. (implied in furtively), from Fr. furtif, from L. furtivus stolen, hidden, secret, from furtum theft, robbery, from fur (gen. furis) thief, probably from PIE *bhor , from root *bher (1) to carry. Related: Furtiveness …   Etymology dictionary

  • furtive — stealthy, clandestine, surreptitious, underhand, underhanded, *secret, covert Analogous words: *sly, cunning, crafty, wily, guileful, artful: *cautious, calculating, wary, circumspect: disguised, cloaked, masked (see DISGUISE vb) Antonyms:… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • furtive — [adj] sneaky, secretive artful, calculating, cautious, circumspect, clandestine, cloaked, conspiratorial, covert, crafty*, creepy*, cunning, disguised, elusive, evasive, foxy, guileful, hidden, hush hush*, insidious, masked, scheming, shifty*,… …   New thesaurus

  • furtive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ characterized by guilty or evasive secrecy; stealthy. DERIVATIVES furtively adverb furtiveness noun. ORIGIN Latin furtivus, from furtum theft …   English terms dictionary

  • furtive — [fʉr′tiv] adj. [Fr furtif < L furtivus, stolen, hidden < furtum, theft < fur, a thief < IE * bhōr (> Gr phōr) < base * bher , to BEAR1: hence, orig., one who carries off] done or acting in a stealthy manner, as if to hinder… …   English World dictionary

  • furtive — ● furtif, furtive adjectif (latin furtivus, dérobé, de fur, furis, voleur) Qui se fait rapidement, à la dérobée, de manière à échapper à l attention : Une larme furtive. Littéraire. Qui passe rapidement, presque inaperçu : Des apparitions… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • furtive — fur|tive [ˈfə:tıv US ˈfə:r ] adj [Date: 1600 1700; : French; Origin: furtif, from Latin fur thief ] behaving as if you want to keep something secret = ↑secretive ▪ There was something furtive about his actions. furtive glances/looks ▪ Chris kept… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • furtive — adjective behaving as if you want to keep something secret: There was something furtive about his appearance. | furtive glances/looks: Christine kept stealing furtive glances at me. furtively adverb furtiveness noun (U) …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • furtive — furtively, adv. furtiveness, n. /ferr tiv/, adj. 1. taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance. 2. sly; shifty: a furtive manner. [1480 90; < L furtivus, equiv. to furt(um) theft (cf. fur thief) + ivus IVE] …   Universalium

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