noun
petty thief; pilferer; sneak thief
Literary term for a small-time thief who steals stealthily, like a rat. Rare in modern conversation; more common words are こそ泥 or 泥棒.
鼠賊が店から小銭を盗んだ。
A petty thief stole some small change from the shop.
彼は鼠賊のようにこそこそと動いた。
He moved stealthily like a sneak thief.