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lumber

v. · n.
US //ˈɫəmbɝ// UK //lˈʌmbɐ// lum·ber
  1. 1 to move heavily (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to move in a slow, heavy, and awkward way.

    to move with a heavy, clumsy, or noisy gait. Intransitive — often used with a prepositional phrase of direction.

    Example

    The huge bear started to lumber toward the river to catch some fish.

    Example

    The old freighter began to lumber out of the harbour, its engines groaning under the weight of the heavy cargo.
  2. 2 to burden someone (v.)
    C1 Advanced British English Informal

    to give someone a job or a responsibility they do not want.

    to burden or encumber someone with an unwanted task or responsibility. Transitive — frequently used in the passive voice with 'with'.

    Example

    I got lumbered with all the cleaning after the party finished.

    Example

    The junior consultant was lumbered with the tedious task of cross-referencing three years of financial spreadsheets over the weekend.

    Usage

    Usually takes the preposition 'with'.
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  1. 3 wood for building (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    wood that has been cut into boards or planks for building things.

    timber sawed or split into planks, boards, or other structural forms. Uncountable in this sense.

    Example

    We bought some lumber from the local store to build a new fence.

    Example

    The construction crew stacked the lumber neatly on the site, ensuring the cedar planks were protected from the rising damp.

    Teacher's tip

    In British English, 'timber' is the standard term for this material; 'lumber' is specifically North American.
  2. 4 old junk (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic

    old furniture or things that are stored away and take up too much space.

    disused or cumbersome articles, such as old furniture, that occupy space without being useful.

    Example

    The attic was filled with the lumber of several generations.

    Example

    He spent the afternoon clearing the dusty lumber from the basement, unearthing broken chairs and rusted tools from the previous century.
Origin

Exact origin unknown. The earliest recorded reference for the noun was to heavy, useless objects such as old, discarded furniture. Perhaps from the verb lumber in reference to meaning "awkward to move"; Online Etymological Dictionary thinks this may derive from the same root as lame. Possibly influenced by Lumbar, an obsolete variant of Lombard, the Italian immigrant class known for being pawnbrokers and money-lenders in early England. Compare English lumpish.

Word family

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