cum·ber  (k ŭm b ər)
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tr.v. cum·bered, cum·ber·ing, cum·bers 1. To weigh down; burden: was cumbered with many duties. 2. To hamper or hinder, as by being in the way: was cumbered with a long poncho. 3. To litter; clutter up: Weeds cumbered the garden paths. 4. Archaic To bother; distress. n. A hindrance; an encumbrance.
[Middle English combren, to annoy, from Old French combrer, from combre, hindrance, from Vulgar Latin *comboros, of Celtic origin.]
cumber·er n. |
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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
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