encumber

From Middle English encombren, from Old French encombrer, from en- + combrer (“to hinder”); see cumber.

encumber (third-person singular simple present encumbers, present participle encumbering, simple past and past participle encumbered)

1. (transitive) to load down something with a burden
2. (transitive) to restrict or block something with a hindrance or impediment
   • 1906 – 1921, John Galsworthy, “Encounter”, in The Forsyte Saga, volume 1:

     He [Timothy Forsyte] had never committed the imprudence of marrying or encumbering himself in any way with children.

3. (transitive) to burden with a legal claim or other obligation

• See also Thesaurus:hinder

• disencumber, unload, unencumber

• encumbrance
• encumbrous

• unencumber
• incumbrance
• cumber
• cumbersome

• encumber in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• encumber in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• “encumber” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.