rob
rob Lexical Profile
rob Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To take property unlawfully from a person or place by force, threat of force, or stealth.
"Masked thieves attempted to rob the downtown jewelry store late last night."
To deprive someone of something needed, deserved, or rightfully theirs.
"A sudden ankle injury threatened to rob the sprinter of her chance at a championship medal."
• noun
The thickened, concentrated juice or pulp of ripe fruit, boiled down to the consistency of a syrup or conserve and often sweetened with sugar or honey.
"The traditional apothecary recipe called for a spoonful of elderberry rob dissolved in warm water."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Rob' takes the person or place as its direct object (e.g., 'rob a bank' or 'rob a traveler of their wallet'), whereas 'steal' takes the stolen item itself as its direct object (e.g., 'steal money from a bank').
• Rhymes for rob
Word Origin & Etymology
As a verb, from Middle English robben, borrowed from Old French rober ('to plunder, pillage'), which is of Germanic origin and related to Old High German roubon and Old English reafian ('to despoil'). The culinary noun meaning 'fruit syrup' comes independently from Arabic rubb ('inspissated juice').