scumber

English

Etymology

Perhaps Old French escumbrier (“to disencumber”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ʌmbə(ɹ)

Noun

scumber (plural scumbers)

1. (usually of a person, dog or fox) dung; excrement
   • 1848, Steinmetz, Andrew, 1816-1877, History of the Jesuits‎^[1], →OCLC:

     […] having no regard of me, and never looking upon me but as the scumber of the world.

   • 1900, Johnstone, Julian E, Songs of Sun and Shadow‎^[2], →OCLC:

     A human vulture, God sent thee The world's great scavenger to be. To cleanse it of its scumber;

   • 1660, Howell, James., Lexicon Tetraglotton […] ‎^[3]:

     […] the Scumber of the Fox, the Spraints of the Otter […]

   • 1958, Djuna Barnes, The Antiphon‎^[4]:

     Let’s see, if by your scumber, you are fox!

   • 2012, Collins, B. R, The Broken Road‎^[5], →OCLC:

     Someone shouts something and he turns and shouts back, ‘Just going for a scumber, all right? Back in a moment.

Verb

scumber (third-person singular simple present scumbers, present participle scumbering, simple past and past participle scumbered)

1. to defecate
   • 1655, Mennes, John, Sir, 1599-1671, Musarum Deliciae ; and, Wit Restor'd‎^[6]:

     But he that gaines the glory here Muſt ſcumber furtheſt, ſhite moſt clear.

   • 1656, Choyce Drollery‎^[7]:

     Beware of fire when you ſcumber, Though to ſh-- [shit] fire were a wonder,

   • 1784, Rabelais, Francois., translated by M. Le Du Chat et al., The works of Francis Rabelais. Translated from the French […] ‎^[8]:

     […] and old Nick turn me into Bumfodder, if this did not make me ſo hide-bound and coſtive; that for four or five Days I hardly ſcumber'd one poor Butt of Sir-reverance and that too was full as dry and hard, I protest

   • 2009, Cooke, Sophie, Under the Mountain‎^[9], →OCLC:

     He’s not to come in the house, though, Natasha. Other than to scumber, I suppose. / What? / To disencumber. His bowels.

   1. of a dog or fox
      • c. 1410, The Master of Game‎^[10]:

        Some tyme pei han a siknesse bat pei mowe not pisse and byn ilost therbi, and also whan pei mowe not scombire

        Sometimes the hounds have a great sickness that they may not piss, and be lost thereby and also when they may not scumber.

      • 1630, Massinger, Philip, The Picture a Tragae Comaedie […] ‎^[11]:

        a brace of gray-houndes When they are ledd out of their kennels to ſcumber

      • 1832, Scott, Walter, Woodstock; or, The Cavalier‎^[12], →OCLC:

        But that their beds were heav'd on high ; They thought some dog under did lie, And meant i' th' chamber (fie, fie, fie,) To scumber.

References

• “scumber”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• cumbers, recumbs