Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(a) (UK Und./US tramp, also hoisterman, hoyster, hyster) a shoplifter.

1708		J. Hall Memoirs (1714) 5: Hoisters, such as help one another upon their Backs in the Night-time to get into Windows.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: Hoister shop-lifter – fellows who go into shops, and under the pretence of buying goods, general.
1821		Flash Dict.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1847–50		J.H. Jesse London i 30: He that could take out a counter without any noise was allowed to be a public hoyster. N.B. – That a hoyster is a pickpocket [F&H].
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict. n.p.: Hoistermen shoplifters.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 55/1: A number of ‘guns’ ‘smashers’ and ‘hoisters’ were busied pouring out the everlasting gin.
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 7 Dec. 2/4: There will be so many ‘sheenies,’ ‘hoisters,’ ‘fences’ and ‘cappers’ on hand.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 36: Hoister, a shoplifter.
1899		J. Flynt Tramping with Tramps 394: HOISTER, or HYSTER: a shoplifter.
1904		Number 1500 Life In Sing Sing 249: Hoister. Shoplifter; wagon thief.
1910		J. Sullivan ‘Criminal Sl.’ in Amer. Law Rev. LII (1918) 890: A shoplifter is called a ‘booster,’ or ‘hoister’ or ‘hyster.’.
1921		P. & T. Casey Gay-cat 303: Hoister, or Hyster—a shop-lifter.
1929		C.G. Gordon Crooks of the Und. 203: ‘Hoisters,’ or shoplifters who prey upon jewellers’ shops [...] invariably dispose of their stuff through the medium of a small buyer.
1936		Sunshine Advocate (Vic.) 11 Sept. 6/3: A shop lifter is a ‘hoister’.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 154: Gangs of women shoplifters or ‘Hoisters’ are to be found in Hoxton.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 20: Most of the lady grafters I have met have been hoisters (shop-lifters).
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxv 6/2: hoister: Shoplifter.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 40: The hoister was held under a guard a dozen strong.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 120: Lots of good hoisters and panhandlers here today.
1990		in D. Campbell That Was Business, This Is Personal 19: One or two little clubs we knew that were frequented by [...] pretty good hoisters, a group of Australians we knew.
1999		R.G. Barrett Wind & Monkey (2013) [ebook] ‘I … haven’t got a spare copy at the moment.’ ‘Oh well, don’t worry. I’ll get one off the hoisters’.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 158: A dozen-a-dime junkie, hustler, hoyster, burglar, mugger. The minda kid Jimmy would call jail fodder.
2007		N. ‘Razor’ Smith Raiders 72: A fella named Jimmy the Hoister came in for a drink.
2010		A. Shand King of Thieves [ebook] Walking calmly away from a job, as opposed to running with a gaggle of store detectives on your hammer, was a mark of success for the professional hoister.
2013		K. Sampson Killing Pool 53: From small-time hoister to big-time charlie baron.

(b) (orig. UK Und.) a pickpocket.

2000

(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.

(c) (Aus. prison) one who steals from warehouses.

1990

Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 A hoister refers specifically to someone who steals from warehouses.