Lumber | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Lüm'ber, n.

noun

n. [Probably from Lombard, q. v., the Lombards being the money-lenders and pawnbrokers of the middle ages. A lumber-room was, according to Trench, originally a Lombard-room, or room where the Lombard pawnbroker stored his pledges. But cf. also D. lomp, Ger. lumpe, lumpen, Dan. lumpe, rag; Sw. lumpor, rags, old clothes; Dan. lumperie, Ger. lumperei, trifles, trumpery; Ger. lumpenkammer, lumber-room.] 1. A pawnbroker's shop, or room for storing articles put in pawn; hence, a pledge, or pawn. [Obs.] They put all the little plate they had in the lumber, which is pawning it, till the ships came. Lady Murray. The lumber for their proper goods recover. Butler.

Any thing useless and cumbrous, or things bulky and thrown aside as of no use.
Harm; mischief. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Foolish or filthy conversation. [Prov. Eng.]
Timber sawed or split for use, as beams, joists, boards, planks, staves, hoops, and the like. [U. S.]

Lŭm'ber, v. t.

verbtransitive

[imp. & p. p. LUMBERED; p. pr. & vb. n. LUMBERING.]

To heap together in disorder.
To fill with lumber; as, to lumber a room.

Lŭm'ber, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. 1. To move heavily, as if burdened with bulk. 2. To make a sound as of something moving heavily or clumsily; to rumble. “A boisterous gush of wind lumbering amongst it.” Chapman. The post-boy's horse right glad to miss The lumbering of the wheels. Cooper. 3. To cut lumber in the forest, and prepare it for market. [U. S.]