*cumber*

{ } v. t. [ Pref. be- + scumber, scummer. ] To discharge ordure or dung upon. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre, F. concombre. ] (Bot.) A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus Cucumis, esp. Cucumis sativus, the unripe fruit of which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants or fruits of several other genera. See below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bitter cucumber (Bot.), the Citrullus Colocynthis syn. Cucumis Colocynthis. See Colocynth. --
Cucumber beetle. (Zool.) (a) A small, black flea-beetle (Crepidodera cucumeris), which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon vines. (b) The squash beetle. --
Cucumber tree. (a) A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata), so called from a slight resemblance of its young fruit to a small cucumber. (b) An East Indian plant (Averrhoa Bilimbi) which produces the fruit known as bilimbi. --
Jamaica cucumber,
Jerusalem cucumber, the prickly-fruited gherkin (Cucumis Anguria). --
Snake cucumber, a species (Cucumis flexuosus) remarkable for its long, curiously-shaped fruit. --
Squirting cucumber, a plant (Ecbalium Elaterium) whose small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force through the opening thus made. See Elaterium. --
Star cucumber, a climbing weed (Sicyos angulatus) with prickly fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cumbered p. pr. & vb. n. Cumbering. ] [ OE. combren, cumbren, OF. combrer to hinder, from LL. cumbrus a heap, fr. L. cumulus; cf. Skr. &unr_;&unr_; to increase, grow strong. Cf. Cumulate. ] To rest upon as a troublesome or useless weight or load; to be burdensome or oppressive to; to hinder or embarrass in attaining an object, to obstruct or occupy uselessly; to embarrass; to trouble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why asks he what avails him not in fight,
And would but cumber and retard his flight? Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Martha was cumbered about much serving. Luke x. 40. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? Luke xiii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

The multiplying variety of arguments, especially frivolous ones, . . . but cumbers the memory. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. encombre hindrance, impediment. See Cuber, v. ] Trouble; embarrassment; distress. [ Obs. ] [ Written also comber. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A place of much distraction and cumber. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sage counsel in cumber. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. a tributary of the Ohio River.
Syn. -- . [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Burdensome or hindering, as a weight or drag; embarrassing; vexatious; cumbrous. [ 1913 Webster ]

To perform a cumbersome obedience. Sir. P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not easily managed; as, a cumbersome contrivance or machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

He holds them in utter contempt, as lumbering, cumbersome, circuitous. I. Taylor.

-- Cum"ber*some*ly, adv. -- Cum"ber*some*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. dis- + cumber: cf. OF. descombrer. ] To free from that which cumbers or impedes; to disencumber. [ Archaic ] Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disencumbered p. pr. & vb. n. Disencumbering. ] [ Pref. dis- + encumber: cf. F. désencombrer. ] To free from encumbrance, or from anything which clogs, impedes, or obstructs; to disburden. Owen. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have disencumbered myself from rhyme. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Encumbered p. pr. & vb. n. Encumbering. ] [ F. encombrer; pref. en- (L. in) + OF. combrer to hinder. See Cumber, and cf. Incumber. ] [ Written also incumber. ] 1. To impede the motion or action of, as with a burden; to retard with something superfluous; to weigh down; to obstruct or embarrass; as, his movements were encumbered by his mantle; his mind is encumbered with useless learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not encumbered with any notable inconvenience. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To load with debts, or other legal claims; as, to encumber an estate with mortgages.

Syn. -- To load; clog; oppress; overload; embarrass; perplex; hinder; retard; obstruct; check; block. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. encombrement. ] Encumbrance. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Incumbered p. pr. & vb. n. Incumbering. ] See Encumber. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Cf. Discumber. ] To void excrement. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Dung. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) Any large holothurian, especially one of those belonging to the genus Pentacta, or Cucumaria, as the common American and European species. (Pentacta frondosa). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + encumber. ] To free from incumbrance; to disencumber. [ 1913 Webster ]