▪ I. † enˈcumber, n. Obs.
Forms: 4 encumbre, encumbir, 6 encombre, 7 encomber, encumber. Also 6 incomber, incumber.
[a. OF. encombre = Pr. encombre, It. ingombro:—late L. incumbrum, f. incumbrāre: see encumber v.]
The state of being encumbered; concr. an encumbrance, embarrassment, trouble, annoyance.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 327 With many grete encumbre of in hard stoure. 1546 Gardiner Decl. Artic. Joye 43 Saynt Austen..auoydinge thencombre of these subtyll heretiques. 1557 North tr. Guevara's Diall of Princes (1582) 422 b Why they should suffer so many incombers, broiles, and troubles as they do. a 1618 Raleigh To P. Henry in Rem. (1661) 252 The greater [ship] is slow; unmaniable, and ever full of encumber. c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems 10 Sleep..follow'd with a troope of golden Slumbers Thrust from my quiet Braine all base encumbers. 1642 Howell For. Trav. v. (Arb.) 28 Too great a number of such Friends, is an encomber and may betray him. |
▪ II. encumber, v.
(ɛnˈkʌmbə(r))
Forms: α. 4–7 encomber, -bre, (5 encounbre, emcombre), 5–8 encumbre, 6– encumber. β. 6–8 incomber, incumbre, 7 incombre, incumber. See also accumber.
[a. OF. encombre-r to block up, obstruct, a Com. Rom. word (Pr. encombrar, It. ingombrare):—late L. incombrāre, f. in in, upon + combrus barricade, obstacle, prob. repr. L. cumulus heap. (In Eng. the fig. uses appear much earlier than the literal.)]
1. trans. To hamper, embarrass (persons, their movements, actions, etc.) with a clog or burden. Also of things: To act as a clog or restraint upon. Also fig.
| α c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶613 Of accidie cometh first, that a man is annoyed and encombrid for to do eny goodnes. 1600 Holland Livy xliii. xxiii. 1169 They marched heavily armed and encombered. 1660 Blount Boscobel ii. (1680) 31 He travers'd..near three hundred (miles)..encombered with a portmanteau. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. III. lii. 261 The royal camp was encumbered by the luxury of the palace. 1842 J. Bischoff Woollen Manuf. II. 44 There were various branches of our trade which it had been thought necessary to encumber with high duties. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 408 He could not be persuaded to encumber his feeble frame with a cuirass. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 407 The study of philosophy..may encumber him. |
| β ? 1612 Brinsley Lud. Lit. iii. (1627) 13 Schoolemasters who are incumbred with this inconvenience. 1610 Healey Epictetus' Man. (1636) xiii. 17 Lamenesse incombers the legges, but not the resolution. 1688 in Somers Tracts I. 306 Such Statutes..seem to incumber what Papists think his Majesty's Prerogative. 1726 Addison Dial. Medals ii, She draws back her garment..that it may not incumber her in her march. 1738 [G. Smith] Cur. Relat. II. 314 They sold their Commodities..in order to be less incombert when they should go about to conquer. |
† 2. To engage, involve, entangle in. Obs.
| 138. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 70 Procuratours of þe fend to encombre [mennus soulis] in synne. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 508 And lefte his scheep encombred in the myre. a 1662 Heylin Laud i. 128 To deliver him out of that War in which they had incumbred..him. c 1720 Prior Poems (J.) Encumbered in the silken string. |
† 3. To cause suffering or inconvenience to. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 254 Ȝit salle Edward be encombred þorgh dame Blanche schene. 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. xii. 37 In mannes body whan ony maladye or sekenes encombreth hit. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847) 51 Sometime these Courtiers them more to incumber Slepe all in one chamber. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 191/2 Greefes wherwith your mind is dailie incombred. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §7 (1873) 56 His mind..being no ways charged or incumbered, either with fears, remorses, or scruples. |
† b. Of enemies, etc.: To press hardly upon, harass, give trouble to. Obs.
| 1413 Lydg. Pilgr. Sowle i. i. (1859) 2 To what purpoos had god formed me for to ben encombred with soo moche meschyef. c 1440 Gesta Rom. i. xxxi. 104 The fleshe, the worlde, and the Devil..encomberithe a man. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 120 Ye shal be here encombred and assaylled. 1633 P. Fletcher in Farr S.P. Jas. I (1848) 197 Much were the knights encumbered with these foes. |
† c. To overcome, master; said esp. of temptations, passions, etc. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 223 That ydelnesse encombre hym nouȝt. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 267 The King..Incombred of his lustes blinde The lawe tornith out of kinde. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas ii. v. (1554) 46 b, The auoutour..Thee encumbred of very force. |
4. To burden with duties, obligations, or responsibilities.
| a 1593 H. Smith Wks. (1867) II. 355 Martha is sore encumbered with much serving. 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 336 It is a burthen to them to bee so employed; they cannot abide to be so encombred. 1781 Burke Sp. Repeal. Marriage Act X. 137 A man that breeds a family without competent means of maintenance, encumbers other men with his children. 1879 Froude Cæsar xi. 119 Aurelia had objected to be encumbered with a stepson. |
5. To burden (a person or an estate) with debts; esp. to charge (an estate) with a mortgage. [Cf. OF. encombrer to mortgage.]
| α 1632 Massinger City Madam i. ii, Such lands..As are not encumbered. 1729 Berkeley Serm. Wks. 1871 IV. 639 If you were..encumbered with debt. 1843 Lever J. Hinton vii. (1878) 46 His large estates, loaded with debt and encumbered by mortgage. 1858 Ld. St. Leonards Handy Bk. Prop. Law xiv. 95 If he make a mortgage after having otherwise encumbered the estate. |
| β 1677 A. Yarranton Engl. Improv. 8 There being so many ways to incumber the Land privately. 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. 313 The new occasions and necessities..required means to be devised of charging and incumbering estates. |
6. To load or fill (places, things) with what is obstructive or useless; to block up; fig. to complicate, render difficult.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 3007 Thorough the breres anoon wente I, Wherof encombred was the hay. 1555 Eden Decades W. Ind. (Arb.) 310 All iorneys incumbered with continuall waters. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. 38 Seruetto and other like..haue encombred al things with new deceites. 1777 Priestley Matt. & Spir. (1782) I. 34, I have not..encumbered my doctrine with..difficulties. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 129 Copper Mine River..is encumbered with shoals and falls. 1816 Scott Bl. Dwarf ii, The ground about the pillar was strewed, or rather encumbered, with many large fragments of stone. 1868 Milman St. Paul's 472 Newton's monument..adorns or incumbers the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow. 1876 Green Short Hist. vi. §2 (1882) 276 The Statutes of Apparel..begin at this time to encumber the Statute-Book. |
† 7. In pa. pple.: Constipated. Obs. rare—1.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans C iiij b, When yowre hawke is encombred in the bowillis. |
† 8. ? To fold (the arms). Obs. rare—1.
| 1602 Shakes. Ham. i. v. 174 With Armes encombred thus, or thus, head shake. |