The word for today is…
encumber (verb) – 1. To cause to have difficulty in moving or in accomplishing something; burden.
- To hinder or impede the action or performance of.
- To burden with legal or financial obligations.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : In Old French, the noun combre meant a defensive obstacle formed by felled trees with sharpened branches facing the enemy. Later, in Middle French, combre referred to a barrier, similar to a dam or weir, constructed in the bed of a river to hold back fish or protect the banks. That notion of holding back is what informs our verb encumber. One can be physically encumbered (as by a heavy load or severe weather) or figuratively (as by bureaucratic restrictions). Combre also gives us the adjectives cumbersome and cumbrous, both meaning “awkward or difficult to handle.”
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