[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/lumbering/)

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# lumbering

adjective (lumbering); also verb form of «lumber» (lumber, lumbers, lumbered, lumbering); noun (lumbering, the work of cutting timber – North America)

«lumbering» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Moving slowly and heavily, in a clumsy way, like an elephant or a big tired bear. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#m1)
2. (verb, -ing form) Walking or moving in a heavy, clumsy way: «the bear was lumbering along». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#m2)
3. (North America) The work of cutting down trees and preparing wood (lumber) to sell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories «lumbering» paints a picture of size and heaviness: giants, trolls, dinosaurs, bears or old buses are lumbering. It tells the reader the creature is big and slow, maybe not very nimble. In history of Canada and the USA, lumbering was a big industry. Phrases: «a lumbering giant», «lumbering along», «lumbering towards us».

### Examples

- A lumbering giant stepped out of the forest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x1)
- The old bus came lumbering up the hill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x2)
- The bear was lumbering across the meadow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x3)
- Dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus were huge, lumbering animals. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x4)
- The lumbering tractor held up all the traffic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x5)
- My big dog came lumbering in, covered in mud. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x6)
- Lumbering was the main job in many Canadian towns in the 1800s. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x7)
- The robot moved with a lumbering, clanking walk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x8)
- "Tan-ta-ra-ra, tan-ta-ra-ra," sounded the horn, and the mail-coach came lumbering up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/#x9)

### Note

From the verb «lumber» (to move heavily). In the UK, «lumbered with» means stuck with a job nobody wants: «I got lumbered with the washing-up». Do not confuse with «lumber» in North America = sawn wood (UK «timber»). Not a maths word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «lumbering» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lumbering/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lumbering» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/lumbering.html) on Mova free.