obumbren

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French obumbrer (to overshadow), from Latin obumbrō (to overshadow).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɔˈbumbrən/, /aˈbumbrən/

Verb

obumbren (third-person singular simple present obumbreth, present participle obumbrende, obumbrynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle obumbred)

  1. (of countries) to overshadow
  2. (of people, with over or to) to spread like a shadow over
  3. (of eyes) to cover
  4. (of the germination of beans) to shelter or protect
  5. (Christianity, in passive, to be obumbred to) to be caused to overshadow (a reference to the causative role played by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary's conception of Christ)
    • Chaucer
      Or half the blisse who coude wryte or tel
      Whan the holy goost to thee was obumbred

Conjugation

Conjugation of obumbren (weak in -ed)
infinitive (to) obumbren, obumbre
present tense past tense
1st-person singular obumbre obumbred
2nd-person singular obumbrest obumbredest
3rd-person singular obumbreth obumbred
subjunctive singular obumbre
imperative singular
plural1 obumbren, obumbre obumbreden, obumbrede
imperative plural obumbreth, obumbre
participles obumbrynge, obumbrende obumbred, yobumbred

1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.