pipe off

English

Verb

pipe off (third-person singular simple present pipes off, present participle piping off, simple past and past participle piped off)

1. (transitive, slang, dated) To watch (a person or building) for purposes of theft.
   • 1900, Allan Pinkerton, Professional Thieves and the Detective:

     To put the matter to further test, on the succeeding night other of their men were instructed to "pipe off" the place still more cautiously. But these too were discovered by Miles's vigilant but bogus police, given chase to, and unmercifully clubbed.