lumbered; lumbering
ˈləm-b(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to move ponderously
an elephant lumbering along the road
The economy continues to lumber along.
2
: rumble
lumbering machines
1
: surplus or disused articles (such as furniture) that are stored away
2
a
: timber or logs especially when dressed for use
b
: any of various structural materials prepared in a form similar to lumber
lumber
adjective
lumbered; lumbering
ˈləm-b(ə-)riŋ
1
: to clutter with or as if with lumber : encumber
plan to lumber the tiny town with a giant ski resort—
Marilyn Stasio
Marilyn Stasio2
: to heap together in disorder
3
: to log and saw the timber of
Synonyms
Examples of lumber in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages
the horse-drawn wagon lumbered along the trail
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
Noun
He works for a lumber company.
had a clearout of all his old lumber and finally got rid of it
Recent Examples on the Web
Zak Doffman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
In the security camera footage, the rotund bear can be seen lumbering up a set of steps to a festive fall display arranged at the top.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
Lee Habeeb, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
According to the designer, when processed for lumber, the lower feet of the trunk are often discarded or mulched as the grain is less consistent.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lumber 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
StatCounter says almost 34% of devices are on Android 14 and 20% on Android 13, but one in five still use Android 11 or 12, and an alarming 4% still lumber away on Android 9, which Google stopped supporting in 2021.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
In the security camera footage, the rotund bear can be seen lumbering up a set of steps to a festive fall display arranged at the top.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
Before , weekend home improvement types spent lots of time shuffling between stores to get lumber, plumbing and paint supplies.
—Lee Habeeb, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
According to the designer, when processed for lumber, the lower feet of the trunk are often discarded or mulched as the grain is less consistent.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lumber
Dictionary Entries Near lumber
Cite this Entry
“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lumber. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lumber
1 of 3 verb
lum·ber
ˈləm-bər
lumbered; lumbering
-b(ə-)riŋ
: to move heavily or clumsily
also
: rumble entry 1
lumberingly
adverb
lumber
2 of 3 noun1
: extra or unused household articles (as furniture) that are stored away
2
: timber or logs especially when sawed and trimmed for use
lumber
3 of 3 verb
lumbered; lumbering
-b(ə-)riŋ
1
2
a
: to cut logs
b
: to saw logs into lumber
Etymology
Verb
Middle English lomeren "to move heavily or clumsily"
Noun
perhaps derived from the name Lombard, originally associated with bankers and pawnbrokers, and so called from the use of pawnshops for storing unwanted or excess property
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