rob
UK[rɒb]US[rɑːb]
v
to take money or property illegally from a person or place, often using threats or violence
v
to take something important away from someone, often in an unfair way
Etymology
the word 'rob' entered english in the late 12th century from the old french verb rober, which carried the meaning of "to plunder or steal." this old french term itself was borrowed from a west germanic source, evident in the old high german roubōn. the underlying germanic root, reconstructed as raubōjan, is linked to the concept of breaking or tearing, which figuratively extends to the act of seizing property by force. this etymological journey from a physical action of breaking to the abstract legal and social concept of theft illustrates a common semantic shift where a violent physical act gives its name to the crime itself.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. it is a loanword from old french rober, meaning "to rob, plunder," which is of germanic origin, related to old high german roubōn "to rob." the germanic root conveys the sense of "to break, tear, plunder."
Examples
the masked man tried to rob the bank at gunpoint.
the new regulations will rob the community of its essential services.
she felt the long illness had robbed her of her youth.