encumbrance

encumbrance
    n 1: an onerous or difficult concern; "the burden of
         responsibility"; "that's a load off my mind" [syn:
         {burden}, {load}, {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}, {onus}]
    2: a charge against property (as a lien or mortgage) [syn:
       {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}]
    3: any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome [syn:
       {hindrance}, {hinderance}, {hitch}, {preventive},
       {preventative}, {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}, {interference}]
    

Incumbrance \In*cum"brance\, n. [See {Encumbrance}.] [Written
   also {encumbrance}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A burdensome and troublesome load; anything that impedes
      motion or action, or renders it difficult or laborious;
      clog; impediment; hindrance; check. --Cowper.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Law) A burden or charge upon property; a claim or lien
      upon an estate, which may diminish its value.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Encumbrance \En*cum"brance\, n. [Cf. OF. encombrance. Cf.
   {Incumbrance}.]
   1. That which encumbers; a burden which impedes action, or
      renders it difficult and laborious; a clog; an impediment.
      See {Incumbrance}.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Law) Same as {Incumbrance}.

   Syn: Burden; clog; impediment; check; hindrance.
        [1913 Webster]
    

ENCUMBRANCE. A burden or charge upon an estate or property, so that it 
cannot be disposed of without being subject to it. A mortgage, a lien for 
taxes, are examples of encumbrances. 
     2. These do not affect the possession of the grantee, and may be 
removed or extinguished by a definite pecuniary value. See 2 Greenl. R. 22; 
5 Greenl. R. 94. 
     3. There are encumbrances of another kind which cannot be so removed, 
such as easements for example, a highway, or a preexisting right to take 
water from, the land. Strictly speaking, however, these are not 
encumbrances, but appurtenances to estates in other lands, or in the 
language of the civil law, servitudes. (q.v.) 5 Conn. R. 497; 10 Conn. R. 
422 15 John. R. 483; and see 8 Pick. R. 349; 2 Wheat. R. 45. See 15 Verm. R. 
683; l Metc. 480; 9 Metc. 462; 1 App. R. 313; 4 Ala. 21; 4 Humph. 99; 18 
Pick. 403; 1 Ala. 645; 22 Pick. 447; 11 Gill & John. 472. 
    

81 Moby Thesaurus words for "encumbrance":
      affliction, albatross, bale, bitter cup, bitter draft,
      bitter draught, bitter pill, burden, burden of care, burdening,
      burthen, cankerworm of care, care, cargo, charge, charging, client,
      clog, cross, crown of thorns, cumber, cumbrance, curse, deadweight,
      dependent, difficulty, disadvantage, distress, drag, embarrassment,
      freight, gall, gall and wormwood, grievance, hamper, handicap,
      hardship, hindrance, impedance, impediment, impedimenta,
      imposition, inconvenience, incubus, incumbency, infliction, lading,
      liability, load, loading, lumber, millstone, obstacle, obstruction,
      onus, oppression, overload, overtaxing, overweighting, pack,
      pack of troubles, peck of troubles, penalty, pensionary, pensioner,
      pressure, protege, public charge, saddling, sea of troubles,
      sorrow, superincumbency, surcharge, taxing, thorn, trouble, ward,
      waters of bitterness, weight, white elephant, woe