Meaning
To steal; and also a thief. In Patois the one word 'teif' serves as both the verb ('him teif mi phone') and the noun ('yuh is a teif'), the 'th' flattened to 't' as usual. It ranges from petty pilfering to serious robbery, and as an accusation it is a strong insult on someone's character.
Examples
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Somebody teif mi phone inna di crowd.
Somebody stole my phone in the crowd.
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Yuh is a wretch teif!
You're a wretched thief!
-
Dem teif out di whole shop last night.
They robbed the whole shop last night.
Origin
From English 'thief', with 'th' flattened to 't'; used as both verb (steal) and noun (thief). See [[tief-out]], [[ginnal]].
How it’s used
Both 'to steal' and 'a thief'; a strong character insult as a noun. See [[tief-out]], [[ginnal]], [[samfie]].