Word
robber
Phoneticsrob·ber, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹɑbɝ/
UK/ɹˈɒbɐ/
Definitions
01a person who steals
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Law
n. someone who steals money or property from a person or place, often using force.
n. a person who unlawfully takes property from another person or a place by using force or threats of violence.
“The bank robber wore a mask and told everyone to stay on the floor.”
“The armed robber fled the scene in a stolen vehicle before the police could establish a perimeter around the shopping centre.”
Pitfall
The 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.
02an animal that steals
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Humorous
n. an animal that takes food or items that do not belong to it.
n. an animal that habitually steals food or resources from other animals or humans.
“That seagull is a real robber; it just took a chip right out of my hand.”
“The local raccoons have become bold robbers, frequently raiding the bins even when the residents are standing nearby.”
Etymology
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.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. cradle robber
02. robber baron
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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