1. v.intr. (usu. foll. by along, past, by, etc.) move in a slow clumsy noisy way.
Derivatives:
lumbering adj.
Etymology: ME lomere, perh. imit. 2. n. & v.
--n.
1. disused articles of furniture etc. inconveniently taking up space.
2 useless or cumbersome objects.
3 US partly prepared timber.
--v.
1. tr. a (usu. foll. by with) leave (a person etc.) with something unwanted or unpleasant (always lumbering me with the cleaning). b (as lumbered adj.) in an unwanted or inconvenient situation (afraid of being lumbered).
2 tr. (usu. foll. by together) heap or group together carelessly.
3 tr. (usu. foll. by up) obstruct.
4 intr. cut and prepare forest timber for transport.
Phrases and idioms:
lumber-jacket a jacket, usu. of warm checked material, of the kind worn by lumberjacks. lumber-room a room where disused or cumbrous things are kept.
Derivatives:
lumberer n. (in sense 4 of v.). lumbering n. (in sense 4 of v.).
Etymology: perh. f. LUMBER(1): later assoc. with obs. lumber pawnbroker's shop