Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe ("garment"), borrowed from Old French robe ("booty, spoils"), itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba ("spoils, things stolen, clothes"), and is related to the word rob. There are various types of robes, including:
- A gown worn as part of the official dress of a peer or royalty.
- Any of several women's fashions, as robe d'anglaise (18th century), "robe de style" (1920s).
- An informal "house robe" worn chiefly in the home by women in the southeastern United States.
- An absorbent "bath robe" worn mostly after washing or swimming.
- One such example is a bathrobe, a garment made of terrycloth or another towel-like material and is typically worn at home after a bath or other activities where the wearer is nude to keep warm and/or preserve modesty in times of no immediate need to fully dress. (Also called a house coat.) See, for example, that worn by the fictional character Arthur Dent.
- (Informal usage) Any long flowing garment; for example, a cassock is sometimes called a robe, despite the fact that the cassock is close-fitting.
See also