a. Forms: 4–7 cumberous, (8 cumb’rous), 4 Sc. cumrouss, 5 comberus, -ose, comborous, comerus, comorows, cumbrusse, 5–6 comerous, 5–7 comberous, combrous, 6 commerous(e, cummerouse, coumbreous, 5– cumbrous. [f. CUMBER sb. + -OUS: cf. obs. F. combreux (Palsgr.).]
† 1. Presenting obstruction; difficult of passage or access; = CUMBERSOME 1. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 25. Ane montane … So cumrouss, and eke so stay, That it wes hard to pas that way.
1495. Will of Shaa (Somerset Ho.). Noyous & comberus high weyes.
1551. Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., To Rdr. The way muste needes be comberous, wher none hathe gone before.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXI. xxv. 407. The rough, comberous, and unpassable forests [saltu invio atque impedito].
1613. W. Browne, Brit. Past., II. iv. Among the combrous brakes.
1861. Lytton & Fane, Tannhäuser, 107. Now o’er the cumbrous hills began to creep A thin and watery light.
† 2. Causing trouble, distress or annoyance; full of trouble or care; troublesome; harassing; wearisome, oppressive; = CUMBERSOME 2. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xxvii. 272. Many oþer marueyles ben þere, þat it were to combrous and to long to putten it in scripture of bokes.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 134. A dysshese she had ful comerous.
1590. Recorde, etc. Gr. Artes, 291. I shall have a cumbrous worke to do.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 23. A cloud of cumbrous gnattes doe him molest.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 549. How I may be quit, Fairest and easiest, of this cumbrous charge.
3. Troublesome from bulk or heaviness; burdensome, unwieldy, clumsy; = CUMBERSOME 3.
a. 1400. Pistel of Susan, 224. Vr copus weore cumberous, and cundelet vs care.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 610. The other [ordenaunce] that were heuy & cumbrusse, he lefte behynde hym.
1555. Eden, Decades, 361. Certeyne lyttle clockes … the whiche … are not comberous to be caryed abowt.
1718. Pope, Iliad, V. 314. I hate the cumbrous chariot’s slow advance.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, V. iv. Armour … Cumbrous of size, uncouth to sight.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 144. A currency 151/2 times as heavy and cumbrous.
b. fig.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 179, ¶ 11. Throwing off those cumbrous ornaments of learning.
1835. Arnold, Lett., in Stanley, Life & Corr. (1844), I. vii. 424. To correct the style where it is cumbrous or incorrect.
1877. C. Geikie, Christ, lii. (1879), 624. The cumbrous machinery of rite and ceremony.
