Takes something from someone by force or theft; also means to deprive someone of something they deserve or need.
From Old French 'rober' (to rob or steal), possibly from Germanic 'raub' (robbery). The word has meant both literal theft and metaphorical deprivation (like 'illness robs him of strength') since medieval times.
In Shakespeare's plays, characters often say 'death robs us of our loved ones'—showing that 'rob' doesn't always mean stealing money or objects. The word captures the feeling that something precious and unfair has been taken away, which is why it's used so powerfully in poetry.
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