a. [f. CUMBER v. + -SOME.]
† 1. Of places or ways: Obstructing and impeding motion or progress; full of obstruction; troublesome to pass or get through. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 351. Bannokburne, that sa cummyrsum was Of slyk, and depnes for till pas.
1555. Fardle Facions, II. xi. 246. Pioners … to make the waye, wher the place is combresome.
1563. Golding, Cæsar (1565), 120. The Britons call it a Towne, when thei have fortified a combersome wood with a dich, and a rampyre.
1681. Cotton, Wonders of Peake, 55. Though the way be cumbersom, and rough.
† 2. Causing trouble, annoyance or inconvenience; full of trouble; troublesome; wearisome, oppressive. Obs. exc. dial.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 105. Thair names … So cummersum tha ar to put in verss.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 19. A cumbersome Landlord is husbandmans rod.
1621–51. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. i. II. x. 111. Cumbersome days … slow, dull and heavy times.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 99. A Portch proves often cumbersome, being the receptacle of foul creatures.
1876. Holland, Sev. Oaks, xii. 167. ‘It would be sort o cumbersome to tell her.’
1862. Hislop, Prov. Scot., 38. Better unkind than ower cumbersome.
3. Of material objects: Troublesome from bulk or heaviness; unwieldy, clumsy.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., VI. Pref. (ed. 7), 596. The Globe is combersome and not portable.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 390. This tree … is not so combersome as to keepe away the Sunne and the wind.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 400. That cumbersome Luggage of war.
1716. Addison, Drummer, II. i. Help me off with this cumbersome Cloak.
1849. E. E. Napier, Excurs. S. Africa, II. 2. At last … the cumbersome waggons gradually got under weigh.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. xv. The cumbersome old table with twisted legs.
fig. 1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., To Rdr. 17. A vast heap of humane Inventions, useless and cumbersome Ceremonies.
1768. Beattie, Minstr., II. lix. With cumbersome, tho’ pompous show.
1870. Lubbock, Orig. Civilis., ii. (1875), 43. Very cumbersome mode of assisting the memory.
Hence Cumbersomely adv., Cumbersomeness.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. lxxiv. 16. Although they be troubled through the combersomnes of men.
1611. Cotgr., Molestément, troublesomely, offensively, combersomely.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. iii. Digr. § 9. (Contents) Human art acts upon the matter without, cumbersomely or moliminously.
1785. Roy, in Phil. Trans., LXXV. 430. The cumbersomeness of its weight appeared … objectionable.
1880. R. C. Robinson, in Scribn. Mag., Feb., 504/2. The log fence … belonged to the same period of plentifulness, even cumbersomeness, of timber.
