lumber

1 of 3

verb (1)

lum·​ber ˈləm-bər 

lumbered; lumbering ˈləm-b(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to move ponderously

an elephant lumbering along the road

The economy continues to lumber along.

2

: rumble

lumbering machines

lumber

2 of 3

noun

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

lumber

3 of 3

verb (2)

lumbered; lumbering ˈləm-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to clutter with or as if with lumber : encumber

plan to lumber the tiny town with a giant ski resort

—Marilyn Stasio

2

: to heap together in disorder

3

: to log and saw the timber of

intransitive verb

1

: to cut logs for lumber

2

: to saw logs into lumber for the market

lumberer

ˈləm-bər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• shuffle
• stomp
• stumble
• barge
• haul
• slough
• lump

Noun

• wood
• timber

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

Verb

The blend of physical locations with sets and digital imagery is seamless and the CG work on the creatures is first-rate, notably so in the scary climactic stretch when the lumbering D. Rex joins the fray. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025

The weight of the sound—incorporating five vocal soloists, thirty choristers, and thirty-three instrumentalists—harks back to lumbering mid-twentieth-century accounts by Otto Klemperer and Hermann Scherchen, before the original-instrument movement dictated light textures and fleet tempos. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025

Noun

There are a prime location, so individuals should remove any leftover lumber from a project or any loose branches, stumps or rocks to remove potential habitats for snakes. —Alyssa Cooper, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2025

With the area's timber having been mostly cut, the lumber mills moved elsewhere. —Jack Schnedler, Arkansas Online, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English lomeren

Noun

perhaps from Lombard; from the use of pawnshops as storehouses of disused property

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1642, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing lumber

• lumber room
• lumber with

Rhymes for lumber

• cumber
• number
• slumber
• umber
• encumber
• outnumber
• renumber

Kids 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 noun

1

: 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

: clutter entry 1, encumber

2

a

: to cut logs

b

: to saw logs into lumber

lumberer

-bər-ər 

noun

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