Lexical Definition

‎מַחְתֶּרֶת‎ machtereth (makh-teh'-reth) breaking ^H:N-M
from ‎חָתַר‎

breaking up, secret search.

• a burglary
• figuratively, unexpected examination

1) a breaking in, burglary

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מַחְתֶּ֫רֶת‎ noun masculine breaking in, burglary — ‎יִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב‎ ‎׳‎‎אִםבַּֿמּ‎ Exod 22:1* i.e. caught in the act (JE); so ‎מְצָאתִים‎ ‎׳‎‎לֹא בַּמּ‎ Jer 2:34, not in the act of breaking in didst thou find them (2 feminine singular suffix Ges^{«GKC:44»§ 44}, 2, R 4), i.e. those whom thou hast slain were not detected in crime.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References