mid-13c., "theft, action or practice of stealing," from a probable Old English *stælþ, which is related to stelen (see steal (v.)), from Proto-Germanic *stælitho (cognates: Old Norse stulþr), with Proto-Germanic abstract noun suffix *-itho (see -th (2)).
Compare heal/health, weal/wealth. Sense of "secret action" developed c. 1300, but the word also retained its etymological sense into 18c. Got a boost as an adjective from stealth fighter, stealth bomber, radar-evading U.S. military aircraft, activated 1983.
权威例句
1. The government was accused of trying to introduce the tax by stealth .
有人指责政府想不事声张地开征这种税。
2. He prefers to do good by stealth.
他宁愿悄悄做好事.
3. The Navy has decided to cancel its contract for the A-12 Stealth attack plane.
海军方面已决定取消购买A-12隐形攻击机的合同。
4. It's good that he used direct taxation rather than stealth taxes to raise the money.
还好他采用了直接征税而不是间接征税的手段来筹集资金。
5. He claimed Tony Blair is trying to get us into the euro by stealth.