WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Cum"ber (km"br)
Part of Speech : v.
Etymology : [OE. combren, cumbren,OF. combrer to hinder, from LL. cumbrus a heap, fr. L. cumulus; cf. Skr. to increase, grow strong. Cf. Cumulate.]
Definition : Defn: To rest upon as a troublesome or useless weight or load; to be burdensome or oppressive to; to hinder or embarrass in attaining an object, to obstruct or occupy uselessly; to embarrass; to trouble. Why asks he what avails him not in fight, And would but cumber and retard his flight Dryden. Martha was cumbered about much serving. Luke x. 40. Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground Luke xiii. 7. The multiplying variety of arguments, especially frivolous ones, . . . but cumbers the memory. Locke.

t. [imp. & p.p. Cumbered (-brd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cumbering.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Cum"ber (km"br)
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [Cf. encombre hindrance, impediment. See Cuber,v.]
Definition : Defn: Trouble; embarrassment; distress. [Obs.] [Written also comber.] A place of much distraction and cumber. Sir H. Wotton. Sage counsel in cumber. Sir W. Scott.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913