robe

American  

[rohb] / roʊb /

noun

1. a long, loose or flowing gown or outer garment worn by men or women as ceremonial dress, an official vestment, or garb of office.

2. any long, loose garment, especially one for wear while lounging or preparing to dress, as a bathrobe or dressing gown.

3. a woman's gown or dress, especially of a more elaborate kind.

   a robe for the evening.

4. robes, apparel in general; dress; costume.

5. a piece of fur, cloth, knitted work, etc., used as a blanket, covering, or wrap.

   a buffalo robe; a lap robe.

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verb (used with object)

robed, robing

1. to clothe or invest with a robe or robes; dress; array.

verb (used without object)

robed, robing

1. to put on a robe.

robe British  

/ rəʊb /

noun

1. any loose flowing garment, esp the official vestment of a peer, judge, or academic

2. a dressing gown or bathrobe

3. informal a wardrobe

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verb

1. to put a robe, etc, on (oneself or someone else); dress

Other Word Forms

• robeless
  adjective
• rober
  noun
• underrobe
  noun

Etymology

Origin of robe

1225–75; Middle English < Old French: originally, spoil, booty < Germanic (akin to rob ); compare Old High German roub > German Raub

Explanation

A robe is a loose piece of clothing that you might wear over your pajamas or put on when you get out of the shower. Most robes tie around the waist with a fabric belt. There are dressier types of robes as well, like the ceremonial robes a judge wears in a courtroom or the elegant robes worn by a queen on a formal occasion. You can also use robe a verb, meaning "to dress or clothe," or literally "to put on a robe." Robe shares a Germanic root with rob, most likely from the idea that robbers would "take garments from the enemy as spoils or booty."

Example Sentences

There’s so much decorum among judges, this infamous brotherhood of the robe, that keeps them from directly criticizing one another.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

Modeled after a monk’s robe and a nun’s habit, Holmes combined Christian inspiration with the miniskirt trend, which some people found fun, while others labeled it offensive.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

King Charles will deliver the proposals from a golden throne in the House of Lords upper chamber while wearing the diamond-studded Imperial State Crown and a long crimson robe.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

St. Francis, unmistakable from his tonsure, his chestnut robe and his stigmata, looks lovingly at the Christ Child.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

He pulls a piece of twisted black metal from inside his robe.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• bathrobe
• costume
• dress
• frock
• garment
• kimono
• vestment