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
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
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025
As Ruiz and Ross lumbered through the middle innings, Romano sat on a bench in the visitors bullpen.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
While Canada and Mexico provide a large part of the softwood lumber and gypsum used in the U.S. for new home construction, numerous raw materials and components, ranging from steel and aluminum to home appliances, come from China.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Verb
Jared Hess, co-creator of Napoleon Dynamite and a string of other small oddball pictures, brings a fresh perspective to what could have been a lumbering IP-pallooza movie.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025
As Ruiz and Ross lumbered through the middle innings, Romano sat on a bench in the visitors bullpen.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
The chair is made of plywood lumber, a blend of durable plastics, requiring no painting, staining, or waterproofing for easy maintenance.
—Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
While Canada and Mexico provide a large part of the softwood lumber and gypsum used in the U.S. for new home construction, numerous raw materials and components, ranging from steel and aluminum to home appliances, come from China.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Cite this Entry
“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lumber. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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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