From Middle English robe, roobe, from Old French robe, robbe, reube, from Frankish *rouba, *rauba, from Proto-Germanic *raubō, *raubaz, *raubą, from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp-.

Akin to Old High German roup (Modern German Raub), Old High German roubōn (Modern German rauben), Old English rēaf, Old English rēafian. Cognate with Spanish ropa. More at rob, reaf, reave.

• (RP) IPA: /ɹəʊb/
• (America) IPA: /ɹoʊb/

robe (plural robes)

1. A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene vi]:

     Through tattered clothes small vices do appear; / Robes and furred gowns hide all.

2. (US) The skin of an animal, especially the bison, dressed with the fur on, and used as a wrap.
3. A wardrobe, especially one built into a bedroom.
4. The largest and strongest tobacco leaves.

• French: robe
• German: Robe
• Italian: veste, abito, (of academic, judge) toga
• Portuguese: manto
• Russian: хала́т
• Spanish: bata, hábito, toga (of an academic, judge)

robe (robes, present participle robing; simple past and past participle robed)

1. (transitive) To clothe; to dress.
2. (intransitive) To put on official vestments.

• (to clothe) dight, don, put on; see also Thesaurus:clothe