lumber

lum-ber · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (North American) Timber sawed into rough planks or boards.

  2. 2.

    To move in a slow, heavy, awkward way.

  3. 3.

    (British) Useless or cumbersome articles that take up space.

  4. 4.

    (North American) To cut and prepare timber from forests.

  5. 5.

    (British, informal) To burden someone with something unwanted.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    lumber room — (British) a room for storing unwanted items
  • •
    lumberjack — a person who fells trees and prepares timber

Related words

See also: plank, timber, wood
Synonyms: planks, timber, wood

Etymology

As a noun meaning timber: from Lombard, referring to Lombard bankers who used pawned items as security. As a verb meaning to move heavily: imitative origin, possibly related to Swedish dialectal loma ("to move heavily").