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| Date: | 1200-1300 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | rober |
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Related topics: Crimerob S3
past tense and past participle robbed, present participle robbing [transitive]
past tense and past participle robbed, present participle robbing [transitive]1SCC to steal money or property from a person, bank etc [↪ steal, burgle]: 
They killed four policemen while robbing a bank.A 77-year-old woman was robbed at knifepoint. ! Someone can rob a person or place, but you cannot say that they rob an object or amount of money. Use steal: He robbed a bank, stealing cash and valuables worth $500,000.
They killed four policemen while robbing a bank.A 77-year-old woman was robbed at knifepoint.2 to take money away from someone or something that needs it in order to pay someone else or use it for something else : Taking money out of the hospital's budget for this is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul.
rob Peter to pay Paul
Taking money out of the hospital's budget for this is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul.3 to steal everything someone has : The minute your back's turned, they'll rob you blind.
rob somebody blind
informalThe minute your back's turned, they'll rob you blind.4 used when you think that you were beaten unfairly in a sport
I/we was robbed!
British English spokenDS5 to have a sexual relationship with someone who is a lot younger than you - used humorously [= cradle-snatch British English]
rob the cradle
American Englishrob somebody/something of something
phrasal verbThe illness robbed him of a normal childhood.
