Acting or done cautiously and secretly to avoid being observed or heard. Characterized by careful, quiet movement or behavior intended to remain undetected.
From Middle English 'stelthe' meaning theft or robbery, derived from Old Norse 'stela' meaning to steal. The modern sense of secretive movement evolved from the original association with thieves who needed to move unseen.
The word 'stealthy' beautifully captures how language evolves - it literally comes from stealing but has expanded to describe any secretive movement, from ninja warriors to prowling cats. Interestingly, stealth technology in military aircraft uses the same principle of avoiding detection that ancient thieves employed.
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