Robin Hood
46
4.0
- proper noun
- Literature
- In the legend, Robin Hood steals from the rich to give to the poor.
- Robin Hood steals money
Examples
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Many people believe that Robin Hood was a hero who fought against injustice.
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Well, maybe they would not have heard the Robin Hood story.
Fiction book (2002) -
Mysterious, that is, to everyone except Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
Fiction book (2002) -
So these children would not see their parents again; they would not sit on their laps and listen to bedtime stories, Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood...
Fiction book (2002) -
ASAP is supported by the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Academic text (2013) -
So there he'd been, leaning on his walking stick/quarterstaff while letting his mind surf back over all the fascinating stuff he'd read about Robin Hood and seen in movies and on TV.
Fiction book (2002) -
American Howard Pyle also created stunning illustrations for classics like The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown (1883).
Academic text (2013) -
The story of Robin Hood has inspired countless adaptations in movies and books.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Robin + Hood
This is a proper name referring to a specific legendary person; the meanings of the parts ('robin' as a name or bird, 'hood' as a garment or slang for criminal) do not compose to yield the specific story of an outlaw who robs the rich to help the poor. Proper names and cultural-historical referents are unpredictable from their constituents, so a B1 learner who only knows the parts would not reliably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Robin Hood comes from a famous English story about an outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, living with his band in the forest and fighting for justice. This strong picture of taking from the rich to help others is why people call activists or generous thieves 'modern-day Robin Hoods'.