[f. LUMBER v.1 and 2 + -ING2.] Ponderous in movement, inconveniently bulky. lit. and fig.
1593. Nashe, Four Lett. Conf., G 3. Master Stannyhurst … trod a foule lumbring boystrous wallowing measures [sic] in his translation of Virgil. Ibid. (1594), Terrors Nt., Wks. (Grosart), III. 275. And yet me thinkes it comes off too goutie and lumbring.
1606. J. Raynolds, Dolarney’s Prim. (1880), 118. There might be heard, the hideous lumbring swasher.
1736. New Hampsh. Prov. Papers (1870), IV. 713. We had only time … to save our lumbering stuff, such as tables and chairs.
1792. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Ode to the Pope, ii. Wks. III. 256. Upon the sportsman’s breaking back, A lumb’ring eighteen pounder.
1811. Scott, Fam. Lett. (1894), I. vii. 229. I agree with you respecting the lumbering weight of the stanza.
1855. Mrs. Gatty, Parables fr. Nat., Ser. I. (1869), 3. A caterpillar, who was strolling along a cabbage leaf in his odd lumbering way.
1885. Sat. Rev., 6 June, 758/1. How lumbering all their rapier play Beside your finished carte and tierce.
1900. Longm. Mag., Oct., 574. It was a great heavy lumbering travelling coach.
† b. Rumbling. Obs.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 159. A lumbring noise as of fire. Ibid. (1684), II. 27.
Hence Lumberingly adv., Lumberingness.
1850. Bentl. Misc., Jan., 12. ‘Come—be alive!’ and Meg moved lumberingly out.
1860. [Mrs. M. C. Harris], Rutledge, viii. 112. I excused myself to him, and ran upstairs, followed lumberingly by the housekeeper.
1869. Echo, 13 Feb. The intolerable lumberingness of its action [sc. of the House of Commons].
1885. D. C. Murray, Rainbow Gold, III. VI. iii. 214. A drunken sailor who howled a song and danced lumberingly.
1900. N. Munro, in Blackw. Mag., Oct., 451/1. The beast … fell lumberingly on its side.
