embezzle

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2010 is: embezzle • \im-BEZZ-ul\  • verb : to appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use Examples: The company’s senior accounts manager was able to embezzle thousands of dollars from his employer by way of a loophole in accounting procedures. Did you know? English has a lot of verbs that mean to steal -- some more specific than others. "Pilfer," "purloin," "rob," "swipe," "plunder," "filch," and "thieve" are some noted examples. "Embezzle" differs from these by stressing the improper appropriation of property to which a person is entrusted -- often in the form of company funds. First appearing in English in the 15th century, "embezzle" derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French "embesiller," meaning "to make away," formed from the prefix "en-" and the verb "besiller," meaning "to steal or plunder." Related to "embezzle" is "bezzle," a verb used in some British English dialects to mean "to waste or plunder" or "to drink or eat to excess." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.