dérober

to conceal, screen, shield (à from); to steal (à from); to turn away (one's head, gaze etc.); to shirk, shy away (à from); to hide (oneself)

“Ses genoux se dérobèrent sous lui, et il s'affaissa sur le pavé [...].” — His knees gave way beneath him, and he sank upon the pavement ….

Inherited from Middle French desrober, from Old French desrober, from des- + rober (“to steal”), the latter from Late Latin raubāre, from Frankish *raubōn, from Proto-Germanic *raubōną (“to rob; steal”).