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Robinson, Mary
eaten as a Sunday lunch. 2 AmE infml an occasion when a
group of people honour a person by saying funny and then
kind things about him: a celebrity roast on TV 3 AmE an
outdoor party at which the stated kind of meat is roasted
and eaten: a pig/hot dog roast
roast³ adj [A] roasted: a roast chicken | roast potatoes | medium
roast coffee
roast 'beef n [U] the meat of farm cattle which has been
roasted
CULTURAL NOTE Roast beef, especially served with
YORKSHIRE PUDDING for Sunday lunch, is thought of as
the most typical English food. → see also Cultural Note
SUNDAY LUNCH
roast-ing¹ /'rəʊstɪŋ/ adv, adj very (hot): a roasting (hot)
summer day | I'm roasting out here; let's go into the shade.
roasting² n infml an act of expressing strong angry disapproval:
He got a real roasting from the teacher for being insolent.
rob /rɒb||rɑːb/ v -bb- [T(of)] 1 to take the property of (a
person or organization) illegally, especially using violence,
threats etc: I've been robbed. | The brothers planned to rob a
bank. | They knocked him down and robbed him of his watch.
(compare They stole his watch.) | (fig.) The silly ending robs the
plot of any credibility. → see STEAL (USAGE) 2 rob Peter to
pay Paul to take or get something from one person in order
to pay another 3 we was/wuz robbed! slang humor a phrase
typically said by supporters of a sports team who feel that
the team lost a match unfairly
rob-ber /'rɒbə||'rɑː-/ n a person who robs or has robbed: a
gang of robbers → compare BURGLAR, THIEF
robber 'baron n AmE one of a group of mostly late 19th
century American businessmen who made very large for-
tunes without caring about fairness or honesty
rob-ber-y /'rɒbəri||'rɑː-/ n [C;U] (an example of) the crime of
taking someone else's property; robbing: He had committed
several robberies in the neighbourhood. | He was charged with
robbery with violence. → see also DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
robe¹ /rəʊb/ n 1 also robes pl. — a long loose garment worn
for official or ceremonial occasions: a judge's black
robes 2 especially AmE a long loose garment worn informally
indoors → see also BATHROBE
robe² v [I;T(in)] rare to dress (oneself or someone else) in robes;
put on a robe: The king and queen were robed in red.
Rob-erts, Ju-li-a /'rɒbəts||'rɑːbərts, 'dʒuːliə/ (1967–) a US
actress whose films include Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's
Wedding, and Erin Brockovich, for which she won an Oscar in
2000. She is very popular, and is known for being one of the
most highly-paid actresses in Hollywood.
Roberts, Oral (1918–) a US Christian TELEVANGELIST (=some-
one who talks about religion on television), who has a
weekly television programme and his own radio station, and
who also started a university in Oklahoma in 1963 called Oral
Roberts University
Rob-ert-son, Oscar /'rɒbətsən||'rɑːbərt-/ (1938–) a US
BASKETBALL player who was a famous GUARD for the Milwau-
kee Bucks team, winning the MVP (=most valuable player)
prize in 1964 when his team won the NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Robertson, Pat (1930–) a US Christian leader and TELEVAN-
GELIST (=someone who talks about religion on television)
who owns a television company called The Christian Broad-
casting Network Inc, and who started the Christian Coali-
tion, a RIGHT WING Christian political group, in 1989. He is
also a politician in the Republican Party.
Robert the Bruce → see Robert BRUCE
Robe-son, Paul /'rəʊbsən/ (1898–1976) an African-American
singer and actor, known for his beautiful, deep singing voice
and for his COMMUNIST beliefs and his work to achieve CIVIL
RIGHTS for African Americans in the US. He is famous for
singing the song Ol' Man River in the film Showboat (1936).
Robes-pierre, Max-i-mil-ien /'rəʊbspjɛə,
ˌmæksɪ'mɪliən/ (1758–94) one of the leaders of the FRENCH
REVOLUTION, famous for starting the REIGN OF TERROR (1793–
1794) during which thousands of people were executed
(EXECUTE) because they were believed to be enemies of the
Revolution. He was later removed from power and killed by
the GUILLOTINE.
rob-in /'rɒbɪn||'rɑː-/ n 1 a
common small European
bird with a brown back and
wings and a red
breast 2 any of various
larger birds that look like
this, in the US and other
English-speaking countries
→ see also ROUND ROBIN
Robin a character in stories
and films about BATMAN.
Robin is a young man who
helps Batman to fight crimi-
nals, and is also known as the Boy Wonder. He is known for
saying 'Good thinking, Batman!' when Batman has a good idea,
and he uses expressions like 'Holy Smoke!' and 'Holy Cow!'
Robin, Christopher → see CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
Robin Hood
Robin 'Hood in old English stories, a man who lived as an
OUTLAW (=someone who does not obey the law and is hiding
from the authorities) in Sherwood Forest in central England,
with his followers, known as his 'Merry Men'. These included
Friar Tuck, Little John, and Maid Marian. His enemy is the
evil Sheriff of Nottingham, who is always trying to catch
him. Robin Hood is usually shown dressed in green clothes,
known as Lincoln green, and holding a BOW. There have been
many stories, films, and television programmes about his life
and adventures. He is remembered especially for robbing the
rich and giving to the poor, and people use his name to
describe a situation in which money is taken from rich people
and given to poor people: a new higher-rate tax that will have
a 'Robin Hood effect' on income distribution
Rob-in-son, Anne /'rɒbɪnsən||'rɑː-/ (1944–) a British tele-
vision PRESENTER, known especially for the popular QUIZ
show The Weakest Link which has been broadcast both in
the UK and in the US. She is known for severely criticizing
people when they answer a question wrongly. At the end of
each ROUND, she says to the loser: 'You are the weakest link.
Goodbye.'
Robinson, David (1965–) a US BASKETBALL player who was a
famous CENTER for the San Antonio Spurs team. He was called
'the Admiral' because he was in the Navy before he started
playing basketball professionally. He won the MVP (=most
valuable player) prize in 1995 and stopped playing in 2003.
Robinson, Edward G. (1893–1973) a US film actor known
especially for appearing as a GANGSTER (=member of a group
of violent criminals) in films such as Little Caesar (1930) and
Key Largo (1948)
Robinson, Gene /dʒiːn/ (1947–) an American man who
became the first openly GAY BISHOP in the Anglican Church
when he was chosen to be the Bishop of of New Hampshire
in 2003. The decision to give Robinson this job caused a lot
of disagreement among Anglicans about whether It was right
to allow a gay man to become a bishop. Some bishops were
worried that it might cause a split in the Anglican Church.
Robinson, Jack-ie /'dʒæki/ (1919–72) a US BASEBALL player
who was the first African American to be allowed to play in
the MAJOR LEAGUES
Robinson, Mary (1944–) an Irish politician and lawyer, who