Definition of: larceny

(lär′sə·nē) noun plural ·nies Law
The unlawful abstraction, without claim of right, of the personal goods of another with intent to defraud the owner; theft. The distinction between grand larceny and petit (or petty) larceny, based on the value of the stolen property, has been abolished in England and most of the United States. [<AF larcin, OF larrecin <L latrocinium theft <latrocinari rob <latro robber]
—lar′ce·nous adjective
—lar′·ce·nous·ly adverb