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robben

crawl on one's belly

verb ROB-ben Rare

Origin: from Robbe, seal

Usage Note

robben means to crawl flat on the belly, the way soldiers do under fire or the way seals (die Robbe) move on land. It takes sein for the motion: Er ist unter dem Zaun durchgerobbt.

Examples

"Die Soldaten robben durch den Schlamm."

Natural Translation

The soldiers crawl on their bellies through the mud.

Literal Translation

The soldiers belly-crawl through the mud.

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