Forms: 4 tombrel, 4–5 tumberell, tumrelle, 5 tomberel, tomerel, tumrel, 5–7 tumbrell, 6 -e, tumrell, tomberell, -brill, 6–8 -brell, 7 -bril, 8 tumbral, 9 dial. tumril, 6– tumbrel, -il; also 6–7 timbrell. [ad. med.L. tumb(e)rellum (Du Cange), -ellus, OF. tumb-, tomberel, tummerel, tumerel, -il, etc., fall, chute, tip-cart, dung-cart, trebuchet (13th c. in Godef.), mod.F. tombereau ‘a Tumbrell or Dungcart’ (Cotgr.), a tipcart for carting and shooting dung, sand, stones, etc., f. tomber to let fall, tumble out. (No record in French of its use in punishment.)]
1. An instrument of punishment, the nature and operation of which in early times is uncertain; from 16th c. usually identified with CUCKING-STOOL, q.v. See also THEW sb.2, TREBUCHET 4.
For full account of the word, with additional quots. see Dr. Brushfield’s article quoted below.
[1223. Bracton’s Note Bk. (1887), III. 504. Et Radulfus quesitus quando leuauit tumberellum et per quod warantum, dicit quod de nouo et ea occasione quod habet tumberellum in quodam manerio suo in comitatu Essexie, et bene putauit quod per libertatem illam illum leuare potuit. Et quia nulla fuit mencio in carta Dom. Regis de tali libertate, consideratum est quod tumberellus prosternatur et Radulfus in misericordia.
1266–7. Judicium Pillorie, in Stat. Realm (1810), I. 201/1. Si aliquis senescallus vel ballivus … remiserit judicium pillorie vel tumbrelli adjudicatum.]
1313–4. Eyre of Kent (Selden Soc.), III. 182. Cely qvad amendes dassisse de payn et de servoise il ad pillori et tombrel [v.rr. turmberell, turmelle].
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 345. Syr Hughe … punysshed the bakers for lacke of syze by the tumberell [1568 Grafton tomberell] where before tymes they were punysshed by the pyllery. Ibid., 385. Myllers for stelyng of corne to be chastysed by ye tumbrell.
1538. Elyot, Numellæ, a tumbrelle, wherein menne be punysshed, hauyng their heedes and fete put into it.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., I. xii. (1588), 67. Setting on the Pillorie or Cucking stoole, which in old time was called the Tumbrell.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., Cucking stoole … is an engine inuented for the punishment of scolds and vnquiet women, called in auncient time a tumbrell…. Kitchin, where he saith, that euery one hauing view of Frankpledge, ought to haue a pillorie and a tumbrell, seemeth by a tumbrell to meane the same thing [i.e., a cucking-stool].
a. 1634. Coke, On Litt., III. ci. (1648), 219. Those that have been adjudged to the Pillory, or Tumbrell, are so infamous [as not to be admitted to give evidence].
1688. Ducking Tumbrel [see DUCKING-STOOL].
1857–9. T. N. Brushfield, Obs. Punishments, II. Cucking Stool (1861), 5. In the Statutes, manorial claims, and law books, [the cucking stool] is usually alluded to as a tumbrel or trebuchet. Ibid., 9. From the 15th c., the identity of the meaning of the two terms [cucking stool and tumbrel] is easily proved.
† 2. A counterpoise beam for raising a well-bucket. Obs. rare.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 799/36. Nomina Aquarum…. Hoc tolumen, a tumrelle.
1483. Cath. Angl., 396/1. A Tumrelle of A wele,… ciconia, tollinum.
3. A cart so constructed that the body tilts backwards to empty out the load; esp. a dung-cart.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 496/2. Tomerel, donge cart. Ibid., 506/1. Tumrel, donge carte, fimaria, titubatorium.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 174. Item, Gante is owing for another day with his tomberel.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 495. He was … sette in a tumbrell, & therunto fastenyd with chaynes of iren, and so conueyed, bareheded, with dynne and crye, thorough the hyghe stretes of Parys tyll he came vnto the bysshoppes palays.
1620. Markham, Farew. Husb. (1625), 69. Any clay earth … you shall carry it in tumbrels or carriages to the new plowed ground.
1632. Foxe’s A. & M., III. Contin., 69/1. The dead bodies … were conueyed in tumbrils out of the citie.
1700. Dryden, Cock & Fox, 251. My corps is in a tumbril laid; among The filth and ordure, and enclos’d with dung.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 281. He sees … the emissaries of the Pope … dragged through the streets in a scavenger’s tumbril.
1901. Essex Weekly News, 8 March, 3/3. The frequent tipping of the tumbril.
† b. app. transf. to a lumbering cart. Obs.
Cf. also TUMBLER 7.
1597–8. Bp. Hall, Sat., V. iv. 14. A Friezeland trotter halfe-yarde deepe To drag his tumbrell through the staring Cheape.
1699. Garth, Dispens., V. 57. Haspt in a Tombril, awkwardly you’ve shin’d With one fat Slave before, and none behind.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 51, ¶ 1. He sometimes rode in an open Tumbril, of less Size than ordinary, to show the Largeness of his Limbs.
1800. Weems, Washington, vi. (1877), 44. And he assisted him in a tumbril or little cart.
c. fig. Applied to a person or his gorge.
1601. Weever, Mirr. Mart., E iij b. But by misfortune t’was the Abbots land Whereas we lay; so by his priuie spies The fat-backt tumbrell soone did vnderstand.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Laugh & be fat, Wks. II. 72/1. Thou mightst relate At thy returne, their manners liues and law, Belcht from the tumbrell of thy gorged maw.
† 4. transf. A flat-bottomed boat or barge; cf. tumbrel boat in 7; also fig. applied to a person loaded with drink. Obs.
1468. Medulla Gram., in Cath. Angl., 396, note. Cimbula, a tomerel [cf. c. 1050 Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 379/1. Cimbula, lytlum scipe].
a. 1625. Fletcher, Woman’s Prize, III. ii. There rid (like a Dutch hoy) the Tumbrel. When she had got her Ballast … How fain [etc.].
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, III. ii. Have you taken notice of the gallegh I brought over?… ’Tis as easily known from an English Tumbril, as an Inns of Court-man is from one of us.
1700. Congreve, Way of World, IV. ii. Good lack! what shall I do with this beastly tumbril [a drunken man]?
5. Mil. A two-wheeled covered cart that carries ammunition, tools, or sometimes money for an army.
1715. Lond. Gaz., No. 5383/3. We have … carried off … Tombrells with Ammunition.
1803. Wellesley, in Owen, Desp. (1877), 393. Sixty-four tumbrils, completely laden with ammunition, together with three tumbrils of money.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, xvi. 267. In our Artillery the guns are … drawn by horses, and the men sit on the ammunition-tumbrels.
6. A square rack for holding fodder in the open field or yard. dial.
1635. Bp. J. Williams, Articles Enq. Linc., A iv. Tumbrels, or other things in your church-yard, to fodder cattell in.
1840. Boston Advert., 30 June, 3/4. We went together into the crew, and found some eggs under a tumbril.
1870. Daily News, 6 Dec. A small quantity of linseed cake, crushed fine, scattered upon the top of the provender, as it is placed in the tumbrils.
7. attrib. and Comb., as tumbrel boat, cart, load, post (sense 6), -slop (cf. 3 b); tumbrel-shaped adj.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xv. (Roxb.), 26/1. A *Tumbrell boate, or flat bottomed boate or Turnell boate.
1852. Wiggins, Embanking, 101. The application of chalk rubbish, i. e. soft chalk, to the land, after the rate of at least ten *tumbril cart-loads per acre.
1764. Museum Rust., III. lxiii. 292. I have mentioned a *tumbrel-load to be thirty bushels, and a waggon-load to be but two tumbrels.
1821. Bill, in N. W. Linc. Gloss. (1877), s.v., 12 *tumprill posts at is. 3d.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., II. ii. I’le goe neere to fill that huge *tumbrell-slop of yours, with somewhat, an I have good luck.
1826. Hor. Smith, Tor Hill (1838), II. 270. That French tumbril-slop is transcendant.
1776. Evelyn’s Sylva, I. ii. 43. The water might fall … like drops of rain; which I should much prefer before the barrels and *tumbral way.
