Hypertext Webster Gateway: "furtive"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Furtive \Fur"tive\, a. [L. furtivus, fr. furtum theft, fr. fur
thief, akin to ferre to bear: cf. F. furtif. See {Fertile}.]
Stolen; obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret;
stealthy; as, a furtive look. --Prior.
A hasty and furtive ceremony. --Hallam.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
furtive
adj 1: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
in the shadows" [syn: {lurking}, {skulking}, {sneak(a)},
{sneaky}, {stealthy}, {surreptitious}]
2: secret and sly or sordid; "backstairs gossip"; "his low
backstairs cunning"- A.L.Guerard; "backstairs intimacies";
"furtive behavior" [syn: {backstair}, {backstairs}]
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