clumse

Meanings

Verb

• To numb; benumb; stiffen or paralyse with cold or fear
• To be numb or benumbed; be stiffened or paralysed with cold or fear
• To die of thirst

Adjective

• benumbed, as with cold
• idle; lazy; loutish

Noun

• A stupid fellow; numbskull

Origin

• 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.