lumbering

[ luhm-ber-ing ]

/ ˈlʌm bər ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lumbering ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the trade or business of cutting and preparing lumber.

Words nearby lumbering

lumbarization, lumber, lumber jacket, lumber river, lumber room, lumbering, lumberjack, lumberjacket, lumberman, lumbermill, lumbersexual

Origin of lumbering

First recorded in 1765–75; lumber¹ + -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM lumbering

un·lum·ber·ing, adjective

Definition for lumbering (2 of 3)

lumber¹

[ luhm-ber ]

/ ˈlʌm bər /

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)

to convert (a specified amount, area, etc.) into lumber: We lumbered more than a million acres last year.

to heap together in disorder.

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

Origin of lumber

1545–55; orig. noun use of lumber²; i.e., useless goods that weigh one down, impede one's movements

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

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

Definition for lumbering (3 of 3)

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

1300–50; Middle English lomeren; compare dialectal Swedish lomra to resound, loma to walk heavily

SYNONYMS FOR lumber

1 trudge, barge, plod.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lumber ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

lum·ber·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lumbering

But his lumbering lurch toward the Ted Cruz tin-foil-hat convention should instead be an object lesson for Republicans to come.
Will the GOP Get the Message in Kansas?|Ana Marie Cox|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For now, Carlisle says the best way to keep rhinos alive is by moving them, one lumbering gray creature at a time.
South Africa’s Great Rhino Airlift|Nina Strochlic|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, however, that same, lumbering Julio Cesar kept Brazil in the World Cup.
World Cup 2014 Nail-Biter: Host Country Brazil Defeats Chile on Penalty Kicks|Tunku Varadarajan|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pop, pop, pop, Ali—then Cassius Clay—surrounded the lumbering Scandinavian with zinging leather.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull|Mark Jacobson|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This was about the time a Texas lumbering company was becoming a major stockholder in Time Inc.
‘The Land of the Permanent Wave’ Is Bud Shrake’s Classic Take on ‘60s Texas|Edwin Shrake|February 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He became wider awake, and kept up the lumbering run to Canyon City.
Lost Face|Jack London
John raced past the lumbering sergeant and put forth all his strength to catch up with Menehwehna.
Fort Amity|Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
He found a tall, lumbering sort of fellow, one of the "finest pisantry in the world," whose appearance was not much in his favour.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction|Various
A moment later his suspicions were confirmed, and he knew that the lumbering wagon was his foster-father's.
The Boys of Old Monmouth|Everett T. Tomlinson
Everybody pursues his daily task, the ordinary routine goes on in its slow and lumbering way.
Empires and Emperors of Russia, China, Korea, and Japan|Pter Vay

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (1 of 4)

lumbering¹

/ (ˈlʌmbərɪŋ) /

noun

mainly US and Canadian the business or trade of cutting, transporting, preparing, or selling timber

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (2 of 4)

lumbering²

/ (ˈlʌmbərɪŋ) /

adjective

awkward in movement

moving with a rumbling sound

Derived forms of lumbering

lumberingly, adverblumberingness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (3 of 4)

lumber¹

/ (ˈlʌmbə) /

noun

mainly US and Canadian

logs; sawn timber
cut timber, esp when sawn and dressed ready for use in joinery, carpentry, etc
(as modifier)the lumber trade

British

useless household articles that are stored away
(as modifier)lumber room

verb

(tr) to pile together in a disorderly manner

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

mainly US and Canadian to convert (the trees) of (a forest) into marketable timber

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

(tr) Australian to arrest; imprison

Derived forms of lumber

lumberer, noun

Word Origin for lumber

C17: perhaps from a noun use of lumber ²

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (4 of 4)

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

lumbering

noun

Content related to lumbering

Words related to lumbering

Words nearby lumbering

Origin of lumbering

OTHER WORDS FROM lumbering

Definition for lumbering (2 of 3)

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of lumber

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

Definition for lumbering (3 of 3)

verb (used without object)

Origin of lumber

SYNONYMS FOR lumber

OTHER WORDS FROM lumber

Examples from the Web for lumbering

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (1 of 4)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (2 of 4)

adjective

Derived forms of lumbering

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (3 of 4)

noun

verb

Derived forms of lumber

Word Origin for lumber

British Dictionary definitions for lumbering (4 of 4)

verb (intr)

Word Origin for lumber