rob

¹

[ rob ]

verb (used with object)

, robbed, rob·bing.

1. to take something from (someone) by unlawful force or threat of violence; steal from.
2. to deprive (someone) of some right or something legally due:

   They robbed her of her inheritance.

   Synonyms: cheat, defraud

3. to plunder or rifle (a house, shop, etc.).
4. to deprive of something unjustly or injuriously:

   The team was robbed of a home run hitter when the umpire called it a foul ball. The shock robbed him of his speech.

5. Mining. to remove ore or coal from (a pillar).

verb (used without object)

, robbed, rob·bing.

1. to commit or practice robbery.

Rob

²

[ rob ]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Robert.

rob

/ rɒb /

verb

1. tr to take something from (someone) illegally, as by force or threat of violence
2. to plunder (a house, shop, etc)
3. tr to deprive unjustly

   to be robbed of an opportunity

Derived Forms

• ˈrobber, noun

Other Words From

• un·robbed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rob¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English robben, from Old French robber, from Germanic; compare Old High German roubōn. See reave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rob¹

C13: from Old French rober , of Germanic origin; compare Old High German roubōn to rob

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. rob Peter to pay Paul, to take something from one person or thing to pay one's debt or hypothetical debt to another, as to sacrifice one's health by overworking.

Synonym Study

Rob, rifle, sack refer to seizing possessions that belong to others. Rob is the general word for taking possessions by unlawful force or violence: to rob a bank, a house, a train. A term with a more restricted meaning is rifle, to make a thorough search for what is valuable or worthwhile, usually within a small space: to rifle a safe. On the other hand, sack is a term for robbery on a huge scale during war; it suggests destruction accompanying pillage, and often includes the indiscriminate massacre of civilians: to sack a town or district.

Example Sentences

He texted one of the other founding Santas, “Fuck you, Santa Rob.”

From The Daily Beast

Rob Marshall lets a sigh of relief erupt so loud it could be heard by giants in the sky.

From The Daily Beast

I was naive enough to assume that he would, at most, rob me.

From The Daily Beast

And then, the very next day, an email arrived from my English department: “Rob, were you expecting a letter from the Unabomber?!”

From The Daily Beast

This would give his gang plenty of time to rob the bank and make their getaway.

From The Daily Beast

He told her that he had sent us to look for it, and that we had taken advantage of the opportunity to rob the paymaster.

From Project Gutenberg

The thunder was the tocsin of the storm, but those who came to rob and kill moved unheralded in swift silence.

From Project Gutenberg

It occurred to him then that it was entirely possible that the rob and kill boys had not left the suburban town at all.

From Project Gutenberg

It recalled Ray Delancy, one of the most dangerous rob and kill men in the business.

From Project Gutenberg

They rob birds' nests of their eggs and young, they capture and devour snakes and other small animals.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bereave
• break into
• cheat
• defraud
• divest
• hijack
• loot
• lose
• mug
• plunder
• raid
• ransack
• strip