Meanings
robe1
plural robes
- A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature.
Through tattered clothes small vices do appear; / Robes and furred gowns hide all.
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] - A wardrobe, especially one built into a bedroom.
present singular third person robes · participle present robing · participle past robed · past robed
- intransitiveTo put on official vestments.
Robe2
- A surname.
- A town and local government area (the District Council of Robe) on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, named after Frederick Robe.
- An unincorporated community in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, named after a pioneer.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo clothe; to dress.
More synonyms by meaning
nounouterwear consisting of a long flowing garment used for official or ceremonial occasions
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*Hrewp-“to tear, peel”
- Proto-Germanic*raubō
- Frankish*rouba
- Old Frenchrobe
- Middle Englishrobe
- Englishrobe
From Middle English robe, roobe, from Old French robe, robbe, reube (“booty, spoils of war, robe, garment”), from Frankish *rouba, *rauba (“booty, spoils, stolen clothes”, literally “things taken”), from Proto-Germanic *raubō, *raubaz, *raubą (“booty, that which is stripped or carried away”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to tear, peel”). cognates and related terms Akin to Old High German roup (“booty”) (Modern German Raub (“robbery, spoils”)), Old High German roubōn (“to rob, steal”) (Modern German rauben (“to rob”)), Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment”), Old English rēafian (“to steal, deprive”). Cognate with Spanish ropa (“clothing, clothes”). More at rob, reaf, reave.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Frankish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek στολή, ξυστίς
- στολή (stolḗ)long, loose outer garment
- ξυστίς (xustís)long, loose outer garment
Bulgarian роба
- роба (roba)long, loose outer garment
Catalan hàbit, toga
- hàbitlong, loose outer garment
- togalong, loose outer garment
Chinese Mandarin 礼袍, 长袍
- 礼袍long, loose outer garment
- 长袍 (chángpáo)long, loose outer garment
Danish kåbe
- kåbelong, loose outer garment
Dutch kleed, toga
- kleedlong, loose outer garment
- togalong, loose outer garment
Esperanto robo
- robolong, loose outer garment
Estonian kleit, kuub
- kleitlong, loose outer garment
- kuublong, loose outer garment
- talaarlong, loose outer garment
Finnish kaapu
- kaapulong, loose outer garment
French robe
- robelong, loose outer garment
German Robe
- Robelong, loose outer garment
Greek σπολά
- σπολά (spolá)long, loose outer garment
Hebrew חלוק
- חלוק (chalúk)long, loose outer garment
Hungarian köpeny, köntös
- köpenylong, loose outer garment
- köntöslong, loose outer garment
Indonesian jubah
- jubahlong, loose outer garment
Irish gúna, róba
- gúnalong, loose outer garment
- róbalong, loose outer garment
Italian veste, abito
- vestelong, loose outer garment
- abitolong, loose outer garment
- togalong, loose outer garment
Latin trabea, peplum
- trabealong, loose outer garment
- peplumlong, loose outer garment
- pallalong, loose outer garment
- vestimentumlong, loose outer garment
- stolalong, loose outer garment
Malay jubah
- jubahlong, loose outer garment
Persian ردا, تالشان
- ردا (radâ)long, loose outer garment
- تالشان (tâlesšân)long, loose outer garment
Polish szata
- szatalong, loose outer garment
Portuguese manto
- mantolong, loose outer garment
Romanian halat
- halatlong, loose outer garment
Russian хала́т, ма́нтия
- хала́т (xalát)long, loose outer garment
- ма́нтия (mántija)long, loose outer garment
Scottish Gaelic ròb
- ròblong, loose outer garment
Spanish bata, hábito
- batalong, loose outer garment
- hábitolong, loose outer garment
- boatinélong, loose outer garment
- guatinélong, loose outer garment
- salto de camalong, loose outer garment
- déshabillé (desabiié)long, loose outer garment
- batínlong, loose outer garment
Swedish rock, dräkt
- rocklong, loose outer garment
- dräktlong, loose outer garment
- skrudlong, loose outer garment
Thai เสื้อคลุม
- เสื้อคลุม (sʉ̂ʉa-klum)long, loose outer garment
Turkish bornoz
- bornozlong, loose outer garment
Welsh cochl, cochlau
- cochllong, loose outer garment
- cochlaulong, loose outer garment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with robe
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
robe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/robe
“robe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/robe. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “robe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/robe.
Source: robe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.