noun
lumber
LUHM-buh
noun
1
Wood that has been sawn into boards or planks for building.
"The yard sells lumber for decking and fencing."
2
Old furniture or unwanted items taking up space.
"The attic was full of lumber nobody had touched in years."
verb
1
To move in a slow, heavy, clumsy way.
"The bear lumbered across the clearing towards the river."
2
To burden someone with an unwanted task.
"She got lumbered with organising the entire event on her own."
How to Use Lumber
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither sawn wood used for building, or the act of moving heavily and clumsily, or (informally) being stuck with a job you didn't want.
UK vs US
American English uses "lumber" for building wood; British English tends to say "timber" for the same material.
Common pairings
lumber mill
lumber yard
lumber along
get lumbered with
Word Forms
lumbered past tense, lumbers plural, lumbers singular
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The yard sells _____ for decking and fencing.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; the "useless stored objects" sense came first, and is possibly linked to Lombard pawnbrokers, whose shops were once cluttered storerooms of pledged goods.