Robe vs. Dress: What's the Difference?
Table of Contents
Main Difference
The main difference between Robe and Dress is that the Robe is a loose-fitting outer garment and Dress is a garment for women, children, or infants consisting of a bodice and skirt made in one or more pieces.
Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have 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.
Dress
A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that covers the torso and hangs down over the legs. A dress can be any one-piece garment containing a skirt of any length. Dresses can be formal or informal. In many cultures, dresses are more often worn by women and girls.
The hemlines of dresses vary depending on the fashion of the time period and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer.
Robe (noun)
A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature.
Robe (noun)
The skin of an animal, especially the bison, dressed with the fur on, and used as a wrap.
Robe (noun)
A wardrobe, especially one built-in to a bedroom.
Robe (verb)
To clothe; to dress.
Dress (noun)
An item of clothing (usually worn by a woman or young girl) which both covers the upper part of the body and includes skirts below the waist.
“Amy and Mary looked very pretty in their dresses.”
Dress (noun)
Apparel, clothing.
“He came to the party in formal dress.”
Dress (noun)
The system of furrows on the face of a millstone.
Dress (noun)
A dress rehearsal.
Dress (verb)
To fit out with the necessary clothing; to clothe, put clothes on (something or someone). from 15thc.
“He was dressed in the latest fashions.”
Dress (verb)
To clothe oneself; to put on clothes. from 18thc.
“I rose and dressed before daybreak.”
“It’s very cold out. Dress warm.”
Dress (verb)
To put on the uniform and equipment necessary to play the game.
“Due to a left ankle sprain, Kobe Bryant did not dress for the game against Indiana”
Dress (verb)
Of a man, to allow the genitals to fall to one side or other within the trousers. from 20thc.
“Does sir dress to the right or the left?”
Dress (verb)
To prepare (food) for cooking, especially by seasoning it. from 15thc.
Dress (verb)
To prepare oneself; to make ready. 14th-16thc.
Dress (verb)
To adorn, ornament. from 15thc.
“It was time to dress the windows for Christmas again.”
Dress (verb)
To ornament (a ship) by hoisting the national colours at the peak and mastheads, and setting the jack forward; when “dressed full”, the signal flags and pennants are added.
Dress (verb)
To treat (a wound, or wounded person). from 15thc.
Dress (verb)
To prepare for use; to fit for any use; to render suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
“to dress leather or cloth;”
“to dress a garden;”
“to dress grain, by cleansing it;”
“in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores, by sorting and separating them”
Dress (verb)
To prepare the surface of (a material; usually stone or lumber).
Dress (verb)
To manure (land).
Dress (verb)
To bolt or sift flour.
Dress (verb)
To arrange in exact continuity of line, as soldiers; commonly to adjust to a straight line and at proper distance; to align. Sometimes an imperative command.
“to dress the ranks”
“Right, dress!”
Dress (verb)
To break and train for use, as a horse or other animal.
Robe (noun)
a long, loose outer garment reaching to the ankles
“a baby in christening robes”
“a young man in a fez and ragged robe”
Robe (noun)
a robe worn, especially on formal or ceremonial occasions, as an indication of the wearer’s rank, office, or profession
“he was dressed in his archbishop’s robes after some function”
Robe (noun)
a dressing gown or bathrobe
“he was clad in a short towelling robe”
Robe (noun)
short for lap robe
Robe (verb)
clothe in a robe
“a circle of robed figures”
“a white-robed Bedouin”
Robe (verb)
put on robes, especially for a formal or ceremonial occasion
“I went into the vestry and robed for the Mass”
Dress (verb)
put on one’s clothes
“Graham showered and dressed quickly”
“I’ll go and get dressed”
Dress (verb)
wear clothes in a particular way or of a particular type
“she’s nice-looking and dresses well”
“he was dressed in jeans and a thick sweater”
Dress (verb)
put clothes on (someone)
“they dressed her in a white hospital gown”
Dress (verb)
put on clothes appropriate for a formal occasion
“we dressed for dinner every night”
Dress (verb)
design or supply clothes for (a celebrity)
“for over four decades he dressed the royal family”
Dress (verb)
decorate (something) in an artistic or attractive way
“she’d enjoyed dressing the tree when the children were little”
Dress (verb)
decorate (a ship) with flags for a special occasion.
Dress (verb)
treat or prepare (something) in a certain way.
Dress (verb)
clean, treat, or apply a dressing to (a wound)
“she washed the wound and dressed it with fresh bandages”
Dress (verb)
clean and prepare (food, especially poultry or shellfish) for cooking or eating
“dress the crab and shell the prawns”
Dress (verb)
add a dressing to (a salad)
“dress the salad with vinaigrette”
Dress (verb)
apply a fertilizer to (an area of ground or a plant)
“the field was dressed with unrotted farmyard manure”
Dress (verb)
complete the preparation or manufacture of (leather or fabric) by treating its surface in some way
“leather that had been dressed with alum”
Dress (verb)
smooth the surface of (stone)
“it takes two days to dress a pair of millstones”
Dress (verb)
arrange or style (hair)
“Patrick dressed Michelle’s hair in a sculptured, Japanese-type style”
Dress (verb)
draw up (troops) in the proper alignment.
Dress (verb)
(of troops) come into proper alignment.
Dress (verb)
(of a man) have the genitals habitually on one or the other side of the fork of the trousers
“do you dress to the left?”
Dress (verb)
make (an artificial fly) for use in fishing
“after you dress a dry fly, be sure to remove any oil before you make your next cast”
Dress (noun)
a one-piece garment for a woman or girl that covers the body and extends down over the legs
“a dress designer”
“a white cotton dress”
Dress (noun)
clothing of a specified kind for men or women
“traditional African dress”
Dress (noun)
denoting military uniform or other clothing used on formal or ceremonial occasions
“a dress suit”
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