Lumber Means Timber in America and Junk in Britain
Lumber is sawn wood in North America. In Britain it means useless clutter, and there is also a verb meaning to move heavily.
Lumber is sawn timber in North America, and disused clutter in Britain — the *lumber room* being where unwanted furniture went. A third sense is the verb meaning to move heavily and awkwardly, probably imitative in origin. The three may not share an ancestor, and the British junk sense possibly comes from *Lombard*, the pawnbrokers of medieval London.
- Sawn timber (American). *A lumber yard.*
- Useless clutter (British). *A lumber room.*
- To move heavily. *He lumbered across.*
- To burden. *Lumbered with the bill.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | lumber | Cut lumber. |
| Verb | lumber | Lumbering along. |
| Person | lumberjack | A lumberjack shirt. |
| British | timber | Softwood timber. |
| Compound | lumber room | The lumber room. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Americans say lumber, Britons timber.For sawn wood.
- I was lumbered with the washing up.British: landed with.
- The elephant lumbered away.Moving heavily.
Timber terms
- Lumber — sawn wood, in North America
- Timber — the British term, also standing trees
- Softwood — from conifers, faster growing
- Hardwood — from broadleaved trees, generally denser
- Seasoning — drying wood before use
Of uncertain origin. The clutter sense may relate to *Lombard*, whose pawnshops stored unredeemed goods. The verb is probably imitative.
Lumber or timber?
Lumber is the North American word for sawn wood. Britain says timber for both sawn wood and standing trees.
What was a lumber room?
A storeroom for unwanted furniture and clutter, a standard feature of large British houses.