An archaic or dialect word meaning to encumber, burden, or trouble.
From Middle English 'cumbren', from Old French 'combrer', possibly from Latin 'cucumbrare'. Related to 'cucumber' etymologically through confusion of roots.
The word 'cumble' and 'cumber' come from the same root but diverged in meaning—'cumble' stayed dialectal while 'cumber' became literary, showing how regional speech gets stratified into 'proper' and 'improper' versions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.