Street
heist
What does heist mean?
A heist is a robbery, particularly an ambitious, planned theft such as a bank or armored-car job. As a verb, to heist is to rob.
"The armored-car heist was planned down to the second."
Origin
American slang, 1920s; a dialectal pronunciation of 'hoist.'
Frequently asked questions
What is a heist?
A heist is a robbery, particularly an ambitious, planned theft such as a bank or armored-car job. As a verb, to heist is to rob.
Where does the word 'heist' come from?
It is 1920s American slang, arising as a dialectal pronunciation of 'hoist.'
Is 'heist' still used today?
Yes. It remains common in both crime reporting and everyday speech for a large, planned robbery.
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