sticky fingers

noun

An inclination to steal.

“There are too many sticky fingers around for me to leave my purse unattended.”

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Meanings

nounsticky fingers pl (plural only)
  1. idiomaticpluralplural onlyAn inclination to steal.

    You'd better lock up your belongings before handing your keys to a valet; some of them have sticky fingers.

    1 more example

    ‘She was great,’ Bennie said. ‘I was crazy about her. But it turned out she had sticky fingers.’ He glanced at Alex. ‘She stole things.’

    2010, Jennifer Egan, “Pure Language”, in A Visit from the Goon Squad
  2. idiomaticpluralplural onlyPetty thieves.

    There are too many sticky fingers around for me to leave my purse unattended.

verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of sticky finger

Translations

Bulgarian джебчия
  • джебчия (džebčija)petty thief
French chapardeur
  • chapardeurpetty thief
German Langfinger
  • Langfingerpetty thief
Polish lepkie ręce
  • lepkie ręceinclination to steal
Spanish amigo de lo ajeno
  • amigo de lo ajenopetty thief
Cite this entry
APA

sticky fingers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20fingers

MLA

“sticky fingers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20fingers. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sticky fingers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20fingers.

Source: sticky fingers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.