[Possibly two or more words may have coalesced. ME. lomere may have been a frequentative formation on lome LAME a. With sense 2 cf. Sw. dial. lomra to roar (Rietz). The word, however, may be partly of direct imitative formation in Eng.]
1. intr. To move in a clumsy or blundering manner; in later use only, to move heavily on account of unwieldiness of bulk and mass. Now always with defining adv. or advb. phr.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1094. Summe lepre, summe lome, and lomerande blynde.
1530. Palsgr., 586/1. I hoble, or halte, or lomber, as a horse dothe, je cloche.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 229. Let ’em not … lumber o’er the Meads: or cross the Wood.
1728. Pope, Dunc., III. 294. Thy giddy dullness still shall lumber on.
1771. Foote, Maid of B., III. Wks. 1799, II. 229. Hush! I hear him lumbering in!
1830. Scott, Demonol., iii. 100. The massive idol leapt lumbering from the carriage.
1852. Hawthorne, Blithedale Rom., I. viii. 138. We … were pretty well agreed as to the inexpediency of lumbering along with the old system any further.
1899. Crockett, Kit Kennedy, xxii. 153. ‘Ouch…!’ barked Royal lumbering outwards like a great pot-walloping elephant through the shallows.
1902. Blackw. Mag., March, 400/1. They lumbered to attention as I entered.
2. To rumble, make a rumbling noise. ? Obs.
a. 1529. Skelton, Agst. Comely Coystrowne, 29. He lumbryth on a lewde lewte, Roty bully joyse, Rumbyll downe, tumbyll downe, hey go, now, now.
1530. Palsgr., 615/2. I lumber, I make a noyse above one’s head…. You lumbred so over my heed I coulde nat slepe.
[1584. Clem. Robinson, Handf. Ples. Delites (Arb.), 47. A proper new Dity … To the tune of Lumber me.]
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XVII. 643. A boisterous gust of wind Lumbering amongst it.
[1621–1782: see LUMBERING vbl. sb.1]
† 3. trans. ? To utter with a rumbling noise. Obs.
a. 1529. Skelton, Col. Clout, 95. They lumber forth the lawe,… Expoundyng out theyr clauses.
