pickpocketing

plural pickpocketings

1. countableuncountableThe act of stealing from the pocket of a passerby; the crime committed by a pickpocket.

   The vast majority of crime in the capital is petty street crime, such as pickpocketing and “grab and runs.”

   2010, Graeme R. Newman, Crime and Punishment around the World, page 124

   1 more example

   Copperfield says he turned his pockets inside out to reveal nothing in them, even though he was carrying his passport, wallet and cellphone. "Call it reverse pickpocketing," Copperfield told The Palm Beach Post for Wednesday's editions.

   2006 April 26, “David Copperfield tricks robbers”, in USA Today, sourced from Associated Press, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2010

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of pickpocket