cumber

American  

[kuhm-ber] / ˈkʌm bər /

verb (used with object)

1. to hinder; hamper.

2. to overload; burden.

3. to inconvenience; trouble.

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noun

1. a hindrance.

2. something that cumbers.

3. Archaic. embarrassment; trouble.

cumber British  

/ ˈkʌmbə /

verb

1. to obstruct or hinder

2. obsolete to inconvenience

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noun

1. a hindrance or burden

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overcumber
  verb (used with object)
• cumberment
  noun
• uncumbered
  adjective
• cumberer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cumber

1250–1300; Middle English cumbre (noun), cumbren (v.), aphetic variant of acumbren to harass, defeat; see encumber

Explanation

To cumber is to make something more difficult or burdensome. Don't cumber yourself by trying to carry all those tote bags through the airport — get a rolling suitcase instead! The old-fashioned verb cumber is rarely used these days, but you still see hints of it in words like cumbersome and unencumbered. It derives from the Old French combre, "obstruction," and its root, meaning "to carry." If you come across this word in an old poem or novel, you'll know it means "to burden." In Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, for example, the character of Meg is described as "cumbered with many cares."