See Also: larceny(dictionary)
larceny(dictionary)
Larceny(law)
grand larceny(dictionary)
petty larceny(dictionary)
SIMPLE LARCENY(law)
MIXED OR COMPOUND LARCENY, crim(law)

crime (oh) and larceny (iou)


crime (oh)



[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: crimen 'judgment, accusation, crime']
[U] illegal activities in General
::We moved here ten years ago because there was very little crime.
::Women commit far less crime than men.
::Police officers are being given new powers to help combat crime .
::the reasons why people turn to crime
::The town has a relatively low crime rate .
::The latest crime figures show a drop in the number of robberies.
::We need to focus more on crime prevention .
:: Violent crime is on the increase in the city.
::There has been a rise in serious crime in the area.
::He became involved in petty crime as a teenager.
::a police crackdown on car crime
:: Street crime was rising rapidly in the Russian capital.
::a new support group for victims of crime
::Politicians are trying to appear tough on crime .
::the latest novel by crime writer Ed McBain
[C] an illegal action, which can be punished by law
::He insisted that he had not committed any crime .
::Rape is a very serious crime .
::men who have been found guilty of violent crimes
crime against
::Crimes against the elderly are becoming more common.
::The City Council made it a crime to drink alcohol in the street.
::Police are still busy hunting for clues at the scene of the crime (=where the crime happened) .
a life of crime
when someone spends their life stealing and committing Other crimes, in order to get money to live
the perfect crime
a crime that no one knows has been committed, so no one can be punished for it
crime of passion
a crime, especially murder, caused by sexual jealousy
crime against humanity
a crime of cruelty against large numbers of people, especially in a war
crime doesn't pay
used to say that crime does not give you any advantage, because you will be caught and punished - used when warning people not to get involved in crime
[singular] something that someone is blamed or criticized for doing - use this when you think someone is treated very unfairly
-see also sin sin
:: My only crime is that I fell in love with another girl.
::Johnson's biggest crime was that he told the truth.
it's a crime
spoken said when you think something is very wrong, and someone should not do it
::It would be a crime to waste all that good Food.
-see also partners in crime at partner 1 (5), white-collar (2)
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COLLOCATES for sense 1
commit crime
combat/fight crime
turn to crime (=start committing crimes)
crime rate (=the amount of crime that happens somewhere)
crime figures/statistics
crime prevention
violent crime
serious crime
petty crime (=crime that is not very serious)
car crime British English
street crime
victim of crime
juvenile/youth crime (=by children and teenagers)
tough on crime (=always punishing crime severely)
HINT sense 1
Do not say 'make/do (a) crime'. Use commit : Young men are more likely to commit crime. She has committed a terrible crime.
WORD FOCUS: crime
crimes that involve stealing things: robbery, burglary, theft, shoplifting, fraud, carjacking
crimes that involve attacking people : assault, mugging, murder, rape
someone who commits crimes: criminal, thief, crook, burglar, mugger, robber, pickpocket, rapist, offender, lawbreaker
See also: criminal, offence, felony, misdemeanour, organized crime, war crime

larceny (iou)



larceny noun. L15.
[Anglo-Norman, from Old French larcin from Latin latrocinium, from latro(n-) brigand, robber, (earlier) mercenary soldier, from Greek latron pay, latreus mercenary, latreuein serve.]
gen. Theft; an act or instance of theft; Law theft of personal property (replaced as a statutory crime in English law by theft).
grand larceny, petty larceny Law (now Hist.): of personal property to a value greater, less, than a legally specified amount.
larcener noun a larcenist M17.
larcenist noun a person who commits larceny E19.
larcenous adjective pertaining to or characterized by larceny, thievish M18.