clumse
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English clumsen, clomsen, cloumsen, from Old Norse *klumsa (compare Old Norse klumsa (“lock-jawed”)), whence also dialectal Norwegian klumsa (“to make speechless or benumbed”), dialectal Swedish klumsen (“numb with cold”). Compare related Low German verklamen, Dutch kleumen, verkleumen, German verklomen.
Pronunciation
Verb
clumse (third-person singular simple present clums, present participle ing, simple past and past participle clumsed)
- (transitive) To numb; benumb; stiffen or paralyse with cold or fear
- (intransitive) To be numb or benumbed; be stiffened or paralysed with cold or fear
- (dialectal, Scotland) To die of thirst
Adjective
clumse (comparative more clumse, superlative most clumse)
Noun
clumse (plural clumses)
Derived terms
Anagrams
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old Norse
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English dialectal terms
- Scottish English
- English adjectives
- English nouns
- English countable nouns