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lumber

1
[ luhm-ber ]
/ ˈlʌm bər /
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See synonyms for: lumber / lumbered / lumbering on Thesaurus.com

noun
timber sawed or split into planks, boards, etc.
miscellaneous useless articles that are stored away.
verb (used without object)
to cut timber and prepare it for market.
to become useless or to be stored away as useless.
verb (used with object)
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Origin of lumber

1
First recorded in 1545–55; of uncertain origin; perhaps because the cut and trimmed timber was dried and seasoned in a lumber room

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

lum·ber·er, nounlum·ber·less, adjective

Other definitions for lumber (2 of 2)

lumber2
[ luhm-ber ]
/ ˈlʌm bər /

verb (used without object)
to move clumsily or heavily, especially from great or ponderous bulk: overloaded wagons lumbering down the dirt road.
to make a rumbling noise.

Origin of lumber

2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lomeren; compare dialectal Swedish lomra “to resound, roar,” loma “to walk heavily”

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

lum·ber·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lumber in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lumber (1 of 2)

lumber1
/ (ˈlʌmbə) /

noun
mainly US and Canadian
  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
British
  1. useless household articles that are stored away
  2. (as modifier)lumber room
verb

Derived forms of lumber

lumberer, noun

Word Origin for lumber

C17: perhaps from a noun use of lumber ²

British Dictionary definitions for lumber (2 of 2)

lumber2
/ (ˈlʌmbə) /

verb (intr)
to move awkwardly
an obsolete word for rumble

Word Origin for lumber

C14 lomeren; perhaps related to lome lame 1, Swedish dialect loma to move ponderously
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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