泥棒
どろぼう thief; burglar
Why it means this
泥 (mud) + 棒 (a club) — ateji; a thief, a burglar (泥棒を捕らえて縄をなう, to start twisting the rope only after catching the thief).
Breakdown
Each character links to its full entry — origin story, stroke order, and readings.