Lexical Definition

‎ἐπαυτοφώρῳ‎ epautophṓrōi (ep-ow-tof-o'-ro) in the very act ^G:A
from ‎ἐπί‎ and ‎αὐτός‎ and (the dative case singular of) a derivative of (a thief)

in the very act.

• in theft itself, i.e. (by analogy) in actual crime

Abbott-Smith

** αὐτόφωρος, -ον (< αὐτός, φώρ, a thief), [in Sm.: Jb 34:11*;]
prop. with ref. to theft, then generally, in the very act: as freq., neut. dat. after ἐπί, Jo 8:4 (Rec., ἐπαυτοφώρῳ).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

Related to: ἐπαυτόφωρος, αὐτόφωρος-φωρος, ον,

(φώρ) self-detected, ἀμπλακήματα[Refs 5th c.BC+]

__II mostly in the phrase ἐπ᾽ αὐτοφώρῳ λαμβάνειν to catch in the act, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 in a more general sense, notoriously, manifestly, ἐπιβουλεύοντας φανῆναι ἐπ᾽ αὐ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]