lumber
verb/ˈlʌmbə(r)/
/ˈlʌmbər/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they lumber | /ˈlʌmbə(r)/ /ˈlʌmbər/ |
| he / she / it lumbers | /ˈlʌmbəz/ /ˈlʌmbərz/ |
| past simple lumbered | /ˈlʌmbəd/ /ˈlʌmbərd/ |
| past participle lumbered | /ˈlʌmbəd/ /ˈlʌmbərd/ |
| -ing form lumbering | /ˈlʌmbərɪŋ/ /ˈlʌmbərɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move in a slow and heavy way
- A family of elephants lumbered by.
- The huge convoy of trucks lumbered out of the city.
Extra Examples- He lumbered to his feet and went to see who was at the door.
- She lumbered over towards me.
- He lumbered up the hill, stopping frequently to get his breath back.
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- [transitive, usually passive] (informal) to give somebody a responsibility, etc., that they do not want and that they cannot get rid of
- be/get lumbered with somebody/something When our parents went out, my sister got lumbered with me for the evening.
- I suppose I'll get lumbered with the extra work.
- be lumbered She might say ‘Yes’. Then you’d be lumbered.
Word Originverb sense 1 late Middle English lomere, perhaps symbolic of clumsy movement. verb sense 2 mid 16th cent.: perhaps from lumber ‘move slowly and awkwardly’; later associated with obsolete lumber ‘pawnbroker's shop’.
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lumber