rob|bery /rɒ bəri/ (robberies ) N‑VAR Robbery is the crime of stealing money or property from a bank, shop, or vehicle, often by using force or threats. □ The gang members committed dozens of armed robberies.
robe /roʊ b/ (robes )
1 N‑COUNT A robe is a loose piece of clothing which covers all of your body and reaches the ground. You can describe someone as wearing a robe or as wearing robes . [FORMAL ] □ The Pope knelt in his white robes before the simple altar.
2 N‑COUNT A robe is a piece of clothing, usually made of towelling, which people wear in the house, especially when they have just got up or had a bath. □ Ryle put on a robe and went down to the kitchen.
-robed /-roʊbd/ COMB [ADJ n] -robed combines with the names of colours to indicate that someone is wearing robes of a particular colour. □ …a brown-robed monk.
rob|in /rɒ b I n/ (robins )
1 N‑COUNT A robin is a small brown bird found in Europe. The male has an orangey-red neck and breast.
2 N‑COUNT A robin is a brown bird found in North America. The male has a reddish-brown breast. North American robins are larger than European ones, and are a completely different species of bird.
3 → see also round-robin
ro|bot /roʊ bɒt, [AM ] -bət/ (robots ) N‑COUNT A robot is a machine which is programmed to move and perform certain tasks automatically. □ …very lightweight robots that we could send to the moon for planetary exploration.
ro|bot|ic /roʊbɒ t I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Robotic equipment can perform certain tasks automatically. □ The astronaut tried to latch the 15-foot robotic arm onto the satellite.
ro|bot|ics /roʊbɒ t I ks/ N‑UNCOUNT Robotics is the science of designing and building robots. [TECHNICAL ]
ro|bust /roʊbʌ st, roʊ bʌst/
1 ADJ Someone or something that is robust is very strong or healthy. □ More women than men go to the doctor. Perhaps men are more robust or worry less? ● ro|bust|ly ADV □ He became robustly healthy. ● ro|bust|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the robustness of diesel engines.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Robust views or opinions are strongly held and forcefully expressed. □ A British Foreign Office minister has made a robust defence of the agreement. ● ro|bust|ly ADV □ In the decisions we have to make about Europe, we have to defend our position very robustly indeed. ● ro|bust|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a prominent industrialist renowned for the robustness of his right-wing views.
rock ◆◆◇ /rɒ k/ (rocks , rocking , rocked )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Rock is the hard substance which the Earth is made of. □ The hills above the valley are bare rock.
2 N‑COUNT A rock is a large piece of rock that sticks up out of the ground or the sea, or that has broken away from a mountain or a cliff. □ She sat cross-legged on the rock.
3 N‑COUNT A rock is a piece of rock that is small enough for you to pick up. □ She bent down, picked up a rock and threw it into the trees.
4 VERB When something rocks or when you rock it, it moves slowly and regularly backwards and forwards or from side to side. □ [V prep/adv] His body rocked from side to side with the train. □ [V n] She sat on the porch and rocked the baby. [Also V ]
5 VERB If an explosion or an earthquake rocks a building or an area, it causes the building or area to shake. You can also say that the building or area rocks . [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] Three people were injured yesterday when an explosion rocked one of Britain's best known film studios. □ [V ] As the buildings rocked under heavy shell-fire, he took refuge in the cellars.
6 VERB If an event or a piece of news rocks a group or society, it shocks them or makes them feel less secure. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] His death rocked the fashion business.
7 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Rock is loud music with a strong beat that is usually played and sung by a small group of people using instruments such as electric guitars and drums. □ …a rock concert. □ …famous rock stars.
8 N‑UNCOUNT Rock is a sweet that is made in long, hard sticks and is often sold in towns by the sea in Britain. □ …a stick of rock.
9 PHRASE If you have an alcoholic drink such as whisky on the rocks , you have it with ice cubes in it. □ …a Scotch on the rocks.
10 PHRASE If something such as a marriage or a business is on the rocks , it is experiencing very severe difficulties and looks likely to end very soon. □ She confided to her mother six months ago that her marriage was on the rocks.
11 to rock the boat → see boat SYNONYMS rock VERB 4
sway: The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
pitch: The movement took him by surprise, and he pitched forward.
swing: The sail of the little boat swung crazily from one side to the other.
rocka|bil|ly /rɒ kəb I li/ N‑UNCOUNT Rockabilly is a kind of fast rock music which developed in the southern United States in the 1950s.
ro ck and ro ll also rock'n'roll N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Rock and roll is a kind of popular music developed in the 1950s which has a strong beat and is played on electrical instruments. □ …Elvis Presley–the King of Rock and Roll.
ro ck bo t|tom also rock-bottom
1 N‑UNCOUNT If something has reached rock bottom , it is at such a low level that it cannot go any lower. □ Morale in the armed forces was at rock bottom.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If someone has reached rock bottom , they are in such a bad state or are so completely depressed that their situation could not get any worse. □ She was at rock bottom. Her long-term love affair was breaking up and so was she.