cumberground en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkʌm.bə.ɡɹaʊnd/ (UK)
- (US) audio
- /ˈkʌm.bɚ.ɡɹaʊnd/ (US)
Etymology
From cumber + ground, in reference to the Bible, Luke 13:7.
Meanings
-
(obsolete) Any totally worthless object or person; something that is just in the way.
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.
1927, Henry William Wolff, Co-operation in India, page 285:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cumbergrounds | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| cumber ground | alternative | lexicographic | |
| cumber-ground | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
encumbrance · cumbrous · cumbersome
Synonyms
Translations (1)
et kasutu (totally worthless object or person)