noun
Refers to the act of stealing something quickly and casually, often in a petty or opportunistic manner.
駅前でかっぱらいが多発している。
There have been many snatchings in front of the station.
彼はスリではなく、かっぱらいで捕まった。
He was arrested for snatching, not pickpocketing.
noun
pilferer; petty thief; bag snatcher
Refers to a person who commits petty theft, especially bag snatching or shoplifting.
かっぱらいがバイクで逃げた。
The bag snatcher fled on a motorcycle.
あの男は常習のかっぱらいだ。
That man is a habitual petty thief.
Kanji form; the small-tsu is written explicitly.
Derived from the verb かっぱらう (to snatch away), which is a compound of 掻き (kaki-, a prefix adding emphasis or roughness) and 払う (harau, to brush away). The exact historical development is uncertain.