pickpocket

noun

pick·​pock·​et ˈpik-ˌpä-kət 

: a thief who picks pockets

Examples of pickpocket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By then, the studio heads had backed off the draconian pay cuts, but a new pickpocket had arrived from Washington: a Code for the Motion Picture Industry put forward under the authority of the National Recovery Act, the enabling legislation for FDR’s New Deal. —Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026

And when the 25,000 Social Security checks worth $8 million are delivered each month, police say 80 pickpockets arrive to prey on the elderly. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

The waterproof nylon exterior includes slash-resistant lining and straps, locking clasps to secure valuables, and RFID-blocking technology to help ward off pickpockets. —Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026

Keep a closer eye on your keys and wallet—a one-strap bag is a pickpocket’s dream. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pickpocket

• skyrocket
• docket
• locket
• pocket
• rocket
• socket
• sprocket

Kids Definition

pickpocket

noun

pick·​pock·​et ˈpik-ˌpäk-ət 

: a thief who steals from pockets and purses

Legal Definition

pickpocket

noun

pick·​pock·​et

: a thief who surreptitiously steals money or valuables from the pockets or person of an individual