robe

noun \ ˈrōb \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of robe

1 a : a long flowing outer garment; especially : one used for ceremonial occasions or as a symbol of office or profession

b : a loose garment (such as a bathrobe) for informal wear especially at home

2 : covering, mantle

peaks on the axis of the range in their robes of snow and light
—John Muir

3 : a covering of pelts or fabric for the lower body used while driving or at outdoor events

See robe defined for English-language learners

See robe defined for kids

Examples of robe in a Sentence

The priest wore a purple robe.
with the coming of spring the hills will once again don their robes of green

Recent Examples of robe from the Web

More than a couple of the occupants were standing in front of their windows Tuesday morning wearing white robes from the hotel, seemingly oblivious to the fact they can be seen from the park or street.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "What we learned at the Cubs' snowed-out home opener," 9 Apr. 2018
The pop star raised his hands, striking a messianic pose from the stage as the adoring crowd strained to touch the edges of his flowing robe.

— lorraine ali, latimes.com, "NBC's 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live' shouldn't have worked. Here's why it did," 2 Apr. 2018
Many modern-day visitors don white robes and immerse themselves in the sacred waters in a show of faith.

— tia goldenberg, Fox News, "Area around Jesus' baptism site being cleared of land mines," 29 Mar. 2018
The sun rises behind the angel's crown, her glowing wings, her flowing robes.

— carol motsinger, Cincinnati.com, "We knew we our stained glass windows were beautiful. We didn't know they were Tiffany.," 29 Mar. 2018
Our biggest fans were several dozen Benedictine monks and nuns who not only prayed for us in their robes and habits but made classes optional during the tournament.

— mike tharp special to the star, kansascity, "Loyola-Chicago's charmed run reminds St. Benedict's players of past glory in KC | The Kansas City Star," 27 Mar. 2018
The mamo, who had a wrinkled brown face, wore his black hair long, as all Kogi men do, and was dressed in a traditional white robe.

— jon lee anderson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Stepping Beyond Cartagena: Exploring Colombia's Northern Reaches," 21 Mar. 2018
The cardinals’ response was to drag the monk out of seclusion and fit him for white robes.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Will Pope Francis Cause a Schism in the Catholic Church?," 7 Sep. 2015
No robes, no cucumber slices, and no excessive pampering.

— garrett munce, GQ, "I Got a Facial and Now I'm a Golden God," 8 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'robe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of robe

Middle English, from Anglo-French, booty, clothing, robe, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German roubōn to rob

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

robe Synonyms

Synonyms

blanket, cloak, cope, cover, cover-up, covering, curtain, hood, mantle, mask, pall, shroud, veil, wraps;

Related Words

blind, concealer, screen, shield;

fig leaf, Trojan horse;

camouflage, disguise, facade (also façade), face, mask, veneer;

gloss, varnish;

robe

verb

Definition of robe

robed; robing

transitive verb

: to clothe or cover with or as if with a robe

intransitive verb

1 : to put on a robe

2 : dress

Examples of robe in a Sentence

robed the queen in her ceremonial garments

Recent Examples of robe from the Web

PARMA, Ohio -- An armed man who tried to robe a Parma CVS ran out of the store after an employee could not open the cash register, police say.

— kaylee remington, cleveland.com, "Parma CVS robbery foiled by employee who couldn't open register," 30 June 2017
Students squirm in their seats, anxious to toss that cap up, shrug that robe off, and get on with it.

— beth thames, AL.com, "Grateful for a graduation speech with a musical message," 31 May 2017

First Known Use of robe

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

robe Synonyms

ROBE Defined for English Language Learners

robe

noun

Definition of robe for English Language Learners

: a long, loose piece of clothing that is worn on top of other clothes to show that someone has a high rank or an important job
: a loose piece of clothing that wraps around your body and that you wear before or after bathing, swimming, etc., or while resting at home