robbery
(ˈrɒbərɪ)
Forms: α. 3–4 roberie, 4 roborrye, 5–6 robery, 7 Sc. roborie; 3–6 robberye, 3–7 robberie (4 -eriȝe), 6 Sc. rubberie, -ery, 4– robbery. β. 4–6 robry(e, -rie, 5 roubry, 6 robri; 5–6 Sc. rubry, -rie.
[a. OF. roberie (AF. also roberye), f. rober to rob: see -ery.]
1. a. The action or practice of feloniously seizing, by violence or intimidation, property belonging to another; spoliation, depredation.
Prov. exchange is no robbery: see exchange n. 1.
| α c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 61 Ȝif he binimeð us ure aȝte, oðer þurh fur, oðer þurh þiefes, oðer þurh roberie. c 1250 Old Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 30 Roberie, Manslechtes, Husberners,..and..oþre euele deden. c 1290 Beket 2152 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 168 Þis luþere kniȝtes..duden gret robberie. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 2449 Þat ys boþe thefte and robberye, And hyt ful dere shal he a-bye. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 137 Þei greiþeþ no þing þat þey dredeþ to lese, þey acounteþ no trespas gretter þan robberie. 1415 Hoccleve Sir J. Oldcastle 456 By violence or by maistrie, My good to take of me,..Þat is verray wrong & robberie. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop iii. vi, He that lyueth but of rauyn and robberye shal at the last be knowen and robbed. 1533 Bellenden Livy i. vii. (S.T.S.) I. 39 Invading þe samyn mare be rubbery þan ony ordoure of chevelrie. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 140 b, That persone committeth plaine robberie or spoyle, who denyeth an almes to any poore creature beeyng in extreme neede. 1605 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. ii. 176 Theeues for their robbery haue authority, When Iudges steale themselues. c 1670 Hobbes Dial. Com. Laws (1681) 117 Robbery is committed by Force, or Terror, of which neither is in Theft; for Theft is a secret Act. 1769 Blackstone Comm. IV. 241 Larciny from the person is either by privately stealing, or by open and violent assault, which is usually called robbery. 1797–1805 S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. I. 114 He was an easy mark for robbery. 1815 Elphinstone Acc. Caubul (1842) II. 125, I think it probable that the people of those parts of the country which are out of sight of the government, are always addicted to robbery. |
| β c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 3501 (Kölbing), Þo kniȝtes..Were ywent in to desert, To libben bi her robrie. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 8357 Ther was neuere theff..That wayted better his a-vauntage, To do his stelthe and his robrye. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 222 Her I gyff our roubry for euirmar. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. xxvi, Compacte of malice and robry. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ix. II. 165 Tha war the only authoris of thift, rubrie, and rinning of forrayis. |
b. An instance of this; a depredation.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7597 He broȝte vp moni oþer hous of religion also, To bete þulke robberie, þat him þoȝte he adde ydo. 1340 Ayenb. 39 Þer byeþ zuo uele oþre maneres of roberies. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 333 Ensample of suche Robberies I finde write. c 1460 in Three 15th Cent. Chron. (Camden) 41 Of whiche robrye Syr Gylbert..was atteynt. 1513 More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 770 There they deuise newe robberyes nightly. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 1306 Each place..fil'd with treasure rackt with robberies. 1612 Rowlands More Knaues Yet (Hunterian Cl.) 15 Many bolde robberies he did commit. 1657 G. Thornley Daphnis & Chloe 43 A young Rustick, yet un⁓skill'd in the Assassinations and Robberies of Love. 1780 Bentham Princ. Legisl. xii. §10 Where robberies are frequent and unpunished robberies are committed without shame. 1838 James Robber i, Giving evidence about that robbery. 1877 Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 316 The placer-mining of the gulch..is really a still worse robbery of the gold-deposits. |
† 2. concr. Plunder, spoil, booty.
Obs.| c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 6684 (Kölbing), Þe king..come priueliche..To binimen hem her robrie. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 255 Helle ys pryued of robry. 1465 Paston Lett. II. 251 Slyford..hath most of the robbery next the Baylly of Ey. 1535 Coverdale Amos iii. 10 They gather together euell gotten goodes, and laye vp robbery in their houses. |
3. fig. An excessive financial demand; a proposal which wholly or chiefly benefits the proposer; an outrageous injustice;
esp. in
daylight robbery,
highway robbery (
s.v. highway 4).
| c 1863 T. Taylor Ticket-of-Leave Man i. 10 Dalton: I won't go higher than fifteen bob for a fiver. Moss... Only fifteen—it's robbery. 1874 E. P. Roe Barriers burned Away v. 38 ‘I want five dollars out of you before you take that trunk off.’ ‘Why, this is sheer robbery,’ exclaimed Dennis. 1886, etc. [see highway robbery s.v. highway 4]. 1949 D. M. Davin Roads from Home i. i. 8 ‘I can never afford it,’ said his sister. ‘It's daylight robbery.’ 1976 Springfield (Mass.) Daily News 23 Apr. 39/1 Though the Celtics are well known for their game-long verbal abuse of officials, Wednesday night they got away with robbery. 1977 Times 28 Feb. 8/5 It was, in fact, a bit of daylight robbery. As Jimmy Andrews, the disappointed Cardiff manager, said later: ‘Everton had all the big names and the luck.’ |