robber
- 01 A2 Elementary
someone who steals money or property from a person or place, often using force.
a person who unlawfully takes property from another person or a place by using force or threats of violence.
Simple“The bank robber wore a mask and told everyone to stay on the floor.”
In context“The armed robber fled the scene in a stolen vehicle before the police could establish a perimeter around the shopping centre.”
PitfallThe robber stole my bike from the garden while I was at work. The thief stole my bike from the garden while I was at work.Use 'robber' for someone who takes things from a person by force. Use 'thief' for someone who steals secretly without using force.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an animal that takes food or items that do not belong to it.
an animal that habitually steals food or resources from other animals or humans.
Simple“That seagull is a real robber; it just took a chip right out of my hand.”
In context“The local raccoons have become bold robbers, frequently raiding the bins even when the residents are standing nearby.”
Inherited from Middle English robbour, robbere, either directly taken from or from a calque of Old French robeor. Equivalent to rob + -er. Compare reaver (“robber, plunderer”), a native English word derived from Proto-Germanic *raubārijaz that is ultimately of more or less the same composition as robber. And compare rover (“a pirate”), another word of the same composition.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.