cumberground

See also: cumber-ground and cumber ground

English

WOTD – 6 August 2008

Alternative forms

• cumber-ground
• cumber ground

Etymology

cumber +‎ ground, in reference to the Bible, Luke 13:7.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.bə.ɡɹaʊnd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.bɚ.ɡɹaʊnd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

cumberground (plural cumbergrounds)

1. (obsolete) Any totally worthless object or person; something that is just in the way.
   • 1927, Henry William Wolff, Co-operation in India, page 285:

     Give a man money, and he may sit down upon it and spend it, or live upon the interest which it will yield in idleness, a mere cumberground and drone, from whose life the world derives no benefit.

Synonyms

• cumberworld

Related terms

• cumbersome
• cumbrous
• encumbrance

Translations

totally worthless object or person

• Estonian: kasutu