lumber

¹ American  

[luhm-ber] / ˈlʌm bər /

noun

1. timber sawed or split into planks, boards, etc.

2. miscellaneous useless articles that are stored away.

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verb (used without object)

1. to cut timber and prepare it for market.

2. to become useless or to be stored away as useless.

verb (used with object)

1. to convert (a specified amount, area, etc.) into lumber.

   We lumbered more than a million acres last year.

2. to heap together in disorder.

3. to fill up or obstruct with miscellaneous useless articles; encumber.

lumber ² American  

[luhm-ber] / ˈlʌm bər /

verb (used without object)

1. to move clumsily or heavily, especially from great or ponderous bulk.

   overloaded wagons lumbering down the dirt road.

   Synonyms:

   plod, barge, trudge

2. to make a rumbling noise.

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lumber ¹ British  

/ ˈlʌmbə /

noun

1. 1. logs; sawn timber

   2. cut timber, esp when sawn and dressed ready for use in joinery, carpentry, etc

   3. ( as modifier )

      the lumber trade

2. 1. useless household articles that are stored away

   2. ( as modifier )

      lumber room

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verb

1. (tr) to pile together in a disorderly manner

2. (tr) to fill up or encumber with useless household articles

3. to convert (the trees) of (a forest) into marketable timber

4. informal (tr) to burden with something unpleasant, tedious, etc

5. (tr) to arrest; imprison

lumber ² British  

/ ˈlʌmbə /

verb

1. to move awkwardly

2. an obsolete word for rumble

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Other Word Forms

• lumberer
  noun
• lumberless
  adjective
• lumberly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lumber¹

First recorded in 1545–55; of uncertain origin; perhaps because the cut and trimmed timber was dried and seasoned in a lumber room ( def. )

Origin of lumber²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lomeren; compare dialectal Swedish lomra “to resound, roar,” loma “to walk heavily”

Explanation

Do you move clumsily, heavily and slowly, without a shred of grace? Then it sounds like you might lumber. Sorry to hear that. Lots of other words and phrases are associated with our friend lumber. Particularly large or tall people are almost inevitably said to lumber, as the common phrase "lumbering giant," attests. You never hear of a tip-toeing giant, but some of them must. Lumberjack, meaning someone who cuts down trees, is another. Often lumber, in the sense of planks of wood, is interchangeable with the word timber.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lumber

Products already subject to tariffs under earlier national-security measures, including steel, aluminum, auto parts and lumber, won’t be hit by this latest round, the White House said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Canada has been in pursuit of a deal that would have the US drop or reduce tariffs on its steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Jack, who is further along in the program and seems to bring Cody out of his shell, also helps him land a job at a lumber mill where he works.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

“So there is less waste, less cut lumber and less labor” in an automated process.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

We were scared and went home empty-handed that night, but we went back several more times until we got enough lumber to complete Mama’s floor.

From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

• plod
• shuffle
• slog
• trudge
• trundle
• waddle