20090814Word of the Day

junli

furtive

\FUR-tiv\ , adjective:
1.Done by stealth; surreptitious; secret; as, a furtive look.
2.Expressive of stealth; sly; shifty; sneaky.
3.Stolen; obtained by stealth.
4.Given to stealing; thievish; pilfering.
形容词 a.
1.偷偷的;鬼鬼祟祟的;狡猾的
The man's furtive manner made the policeman follow him.
这人鬼鬼祟祟的举止引得警察跟踪了他。
He took a furtive glance at the clock.
他偷偷地瞧了一眼钟。

Quotes:
He had always been more than willing to show me parts of [his notebook], whenever I asked him to; and naturally I had taken many furtive looks at its innermost pages when he wasn't around.
~Michael Chabon, Werewolves in Their Youth
Exchanging furtive glances, they oozed a nervousness, perhaps in fear that some prewritten script would go awry.
~Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg by Bloomberg
Why did he keep looking around at all the other tables like that? It made him seem furtive, as if he didn't belong here, as if he were an intruder in so fine a place as this.
~Mary McGarry Morris, Fiona Range

Origin:
Furtive is from Latin furtivus, from furtum, "theft," from fur, "thief."