cumbrous
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: From Late Middle English combrous (“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”) [and other forms], from komber, kumbre (“distress; destruction”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as cumber + -ous.
Base: cumber
Affixes: -ous
Inflected forms:
form: more cumbrous
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most cumbrous
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: combrous
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Unwieldy because of size or weight; cumbersome.
pos: adj
tags: also
figuratively
literary
examples: Possession's load was grown so great, / He sunk beneath the cumbrous weight: […]
He therefore came to a ſudden reolution of throvving off thoſe cumbrous ornaments of learning, vvhich, as he imagined, hindered his reception; and vvith no other images than arcs and angles, commenced a man of vvit and jocularity.
The rest of the furniture is in a suitable style, particularly an arm-chair of cumbrous workmanship, constructed of wood, curiously turned, with a high back and triangular seat, said to have been used by Judge Popham in the reign of Elizabeth.
[W]e, upon a large experience in the French literature, affirm that it would be nearly impossible (perhaps strictly so) to cite an instance of that cumbrous and unwieldy style which disfigures English composition so extensively.
A correspondent of The American has taken exception to the use, in a recent paragraph in this column, of the word “electrocution.” The writer of the paragraph referred to is conscious that the word, like other etymological hybrids, lacks euphony and consistency; but during the formative period succeeding the introduction of a new idea not yet provided with a verbal exponent, the safest course is to follow general popular usage. The idea must be expressed, and the choice lies between a cumbrous word and a cumbrous sentence, the former of which seems the lesser evil. “Electrocution” has been widely used, even by scientific men, while the only plausible alternative thus far suggested—“electrothany”—though possessing the merit of unmixed ancestry, is inadequate in that it carries no penal signification.
In each country writing began with pictures of the objects intended. […] In the course of thousands of years, this cumbrous system developed into alphabetic writing.
This class of apparatus, often called today the "poste classique", gave first-class service in every respect but became cumbrous if a large layout had to be controlled.
Evidently the imagines agentes, fantastically gesticulating from their places and arousing memory by their emotional appeal, seemed to him as cumbrous and useless for practical mnemonic purposes as they do to us.
gloss: Causing hindrance or obstruction.
pos: adj
tags: literary
obsolete
examples: But aftervvards, the Gauls ceaſed to moleſt and trouble, and the Romans gave over to fear, ſo ſoon as they vvere paſſed, and eſcaped the rough, cumbrous, and unpaſſable forreſts.
gloss: Giving annoyance or trouble; troublesome, vexatious.
pos: adj
tags: literary
obsolete
examples: A cloud of cumbrous gnattes doe him moleſt, / All ſtriuing to infixe their feeble ſtinges, / That from their noyance he no vvhere can reſt, / But vvith his clovvniſh hands their tender vvings, / He bruſheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings.
Henceforth I flie not Death, nor would prolong / Life much, bent rather now I may be quit / Faireſt and eaſieſt of this combrous charge, / Which I muſt keep till my appointed day / Of rendring up.
Related words: accumber
cumber
cumbered
cumberer
cumberground
cumbering
cumberless
cumberment
cumbersome
cumberworld
encumber
encumbered
encumberer
encumbering
encumberment
encumbrance
encumbrancer
encumbrous
incumber
incumberment
incumbrance
unencumbered
Derived words: cumbrously
cumbrousness
uncumbrous
Translations: