Robin Hood
Preserved but no longer current.
This traditionary outlaw and hero of English ballads is mentioned by the Scottish historian Fordun, who died about 1386, and also by Langland in the Vision of Piers Plowman, Bk. v, 402 (?.v.), but which of these is the earlier is uncertain.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Robin Hood” mean?
This traditionary outlaw and hero of English ballads is mentioned by the Scottish historian Fordun, who died about 1386, and also by Langland in the Vision of Piers Plowman, Bk. v, 402 (?.v.), but which of these is the earlier is uncertain.
Is “Robin Hood” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.