Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

OVERRATE — OVERWORK

OVERRATE, v.t. To rate at too much; to estimate at a value or amount beyond the truth.

OVERREACH, v.t.

1. To reach beyond in any direction; to rise above; to extend beyond.

2. To deceive by cunning, artifice or sagacity; to cheat.

OVERREACH, v.i. Applied to horses, to strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or shoe of the fore foot.

OVERREACH, n. The act of striking the heel of the fore foot with the toe of the hind foot.

OVERREACHER, n. One that overreaches; one that deceives.

OVERREACHING, n. The act of deceiving; a reaching too far.

OVERREAD, v.t. To read over; to peruse. [Not used.]

OVERRED, v.t. To smear with a red color. [Not used.]

OVERRIDE, v.t.

1. To ride over. [Not used.]

2. To ride too much; to ride beyond the strength of the horse.

OVERRID, OVERRIDDEN, pp. Rid to excess.

OVERRIPEN, v.t. To make too ripe.

OVERROAST, v.t. To roast too much.

OVERRULE, v.t.

1. To influence or control by predominant power; to subject to superior authority. The law must overrule all private opinions of right and wrong.

His passion and animosity overruled his conscience.

2. To govern with high authority.

3. In law, to supersede or reject; as, the plea was overruled by the court.

OVERRULER, n. One who controls, directs or governs.

OVERRULING, pp.

1. Controlling; subjecting to authority.

2. a. Exerting superior and controlling power; as an overruling Providence.

1. To run or spread over; to grow over; to cover all over. The sluggard’s farm is overrun with weeds. Some plants unchecked will soon overrun a field. The Canada thistle is overrunning the northern parts of New England, as it has overrun Normandy.

2. To march or rove over; to harass by hostile incursions; to ravage. The south of Europe was formerly overrun by the Goths, Vandals and other barbarians.

3. To outrun; to run faster than another and leave him behind.

Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. 2 Samuel 18:23.

4. To overspread with numbers. Were it not for the ibis, it has been supposed Egypt would be overrun with crocodiles.

5. To injure by treading down.

6. Among printers, to change the disposition of types and carry those of one line into another, either in correction, or in the contraction or extension of columns.

OVERRUN, v.i. To overflow; to run over.

OVERRUNNER, n. One that overruns.

OVERRUNNING, ppr. Spreading over; ravaging; changing the disposition of types.

OVERSATURATE, v.t. To saturate to excess.

OVERSATURATED, pp. More than saturated.

OVERSATURATING, ppr. Saturating to excess.

OVERSCRUPULOUS, a. Scrupulous to excess.

OVERSEA, a. Foreign; from beyond sea.

OVERSEE, v.t.

1. To superintend; to overlook, implying care.

2. To pass unheeded; to omit; to neglect. [Not used.]

OVERSEEN, pp.

1. Superintended.

2. Mistaken; deceived. [Not used.]

OVERSEER, n.

1. One who overlooks; a superintendent; a supervisor.

2. An officer who has the care of the poor or of an idiot, etc.

OVERSET, v.t.

1. To turn from the proper position or basis; to turn upon the side, or to turn bottom upwards; as, to overset a coach, a ship or a building.

2. To subvert; to overthrow; as, to overset the constitution of a state; to overset a scheme of policy.

3. To throw off the proper foundation.

OVERSET, v.i. To turn or be turned over; to turn or fall off the basis or bottom. A crank vessel is liable to overset.

OVERSHADE, v.t. To cover with shade; to cover with any thing that causes darkness; to render dark or gloomy.

OVERSHADOW, v.t.

1. To throw a shadow over; to overshade.

2. To shelter; to protect; to cover with protecting influence.

OVERSHADOWER, n. One that throws a shade over any thing.

OVERSHADOWING, ppr. Throwing a shade over; protecting.

OVERSHOOT, v.t.

1. To shoot beyond the mark.

2. To pass swiftly over.

To overshoot one’s self, to venture too far; to assert too much.

OVERSHOOT, v.i. To fly beyond the mark.

OVERSHOT, pp. Shot beyond.

OVERSHOT, a. An overshot wheel is one that receives the water, shot over the top, on the descent. An overshot wheel is moved by less water than an undershot wheel.

OVERSIGHT, n.

1. Superintendence; watchful care. 1 Peter 5:2.

2. Mistake; an overlooking; omission; error.

OVERSIZE, v.t.

1. To surpass in bulk or size. [Not much used.]

2. To cover with viscid matter.

OVERSKIP, v.t.

1. To skip or leap over; to pass by leaping.

2. To pass over.

3. To escape.

OVERSLEEP, v.t. To sleep too long; as, to oversleep the usual hour of rising.

OVERSLIP, v.t. To slip or pass without notice; to pass undone, unnoticed or unused; to omit; to neglect; as, to overslip time or opportunity.

OVERSLOW, v.t. To render slow; to check; to curb. [Not used.]

OVERSNOW, v.t. To cover with snow. [Not much used.]

OVERSOLD, pp. Sold at too high a price.

OVERSOON, adv. Too soon.

OVERSORROW, v.t. To grieve or afflict to excess.

OVERSPAN, v.t. To reach or extend over.

OVERSPEAK, v.t. To speak too much; to use too many words.

OVERSPENT, pp. [See Spend.] Harassed or fatigued to an extreme degree.

OVERSPREAD, v.t. overspred’.

1. To spread over; to cover over. The deluge overspread the earth.

2. To scatter over.

OVERSPREAD, v.i. overspred’. To be spread or scattered over; as, weeds overspread the ground.

OVERSTAND, v.t. To stand too much on price or conditions; to lose a sale by holding the price too high.

OVERSTARE, v.t. To stare wildly. [Not used.]

OVERSTEP, v.t. To step over or beyond; to exceed.

OVERSTOCK, n. Superabundance; more than is sufficient.

OVERSTOCK, v.t.

1. To fill too full; to crowd; to supply with more than is wanted. The world may be overstocked with inhabitants. The market is often overstocked with goods.

2. To furnish with more cattle than are wanted; as, to overstock a farm.

3. To supply with more seed than is wanted; as, to overstock land with clover.

OVERSTORE, v.t. To store with too much; to supply or fill with superabundance.

OVERSTRAIN, v.i. To strain to excess; to make too violent efforts.

OVERSTRAIN, v.t. To stretch too far.

OVERSTREW, OVERSTROW, v.t. To spread or scatter over.

OVERSTRIKE, v.t. To strike beyond.

OVERSTROWN, pp. Spread or scattered over.

OVERSUPPLY, v.t. To furnish more than is sufficient.

OVERSWAY, v.t. To overrule; to bear down; to control.

OVERSWELL, v.t. To swell or rise above; to overflow.

OVERT, a. [L. aperio.]

Open to view; public; apparent; as overt virtues; an overt essay. But the word is now used chiefly in law. Thus an overt act of treason is distinguished from secret design or intention not carried into effect, and even from words spoken. A market overt, is a place where goods are publicly exposed to sale. A pound over, is one open overhead, as distinguished from a pound covert or close.

OVERTAKE, v.t.

1. To come up with in a course, pursuit, progress or motion; to catch.

The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake. Exodus 15:9.

2. To come upon; to fall on afterwards. Vengeance shall overtake the wicked.

3. To take by surprise.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual, restore such one in the spirit of meekness. Galatians 6:1.

OVERTASK, v.t. To impose too heavy a task or injunction on.

OVERTAX, v.t. To tax too heavily.

OVERTHROW, v.t. [See Throw.]

1. To turn upside down.

His wife overthrew the table.

2. To throw down.

3. To ruin; to demolish.

When the walls of Thebes he overthrew.

4. To defeat; to conquer; to vanquish; as, to overthrow an army or an enemy.

5. To subvert; to destroy; as, to overthrow the constitution or state; to overthrow religion.

OVERTHROW, n.

1. The state of being overturned or turned off the basis.

2. Ruin; destruction; as the overthrow of the state.

3. Defeat; discomfiture; as the overthrow of enemies.

4. Degradation.

OVERTHROWER, n. One that overthrows, defeats or destroys.

OVERTHWART, a.

1. Opposite; being over the way or street.

2. Crossing at right angles.

3. Cross; perverse; adverse; contradictions.

OVERTHWART, prep. Across; from side to side.

OVERTHWARTLY, adv.

1. Across; transversely.

2. Perversely.

OVERTHWARTNESS, n.

1. The state of being athwart or lying across.

2. Perverseness; pervicacity.

OVERTIRE, v.t. To tire to excess; to subdue by fatigue.

OVERTITLE, v.t. To give too high a title to.

OVERTLY, adv. Openly; in open view; publicly.

OVERTOOK, pret. of overtake.

OVERTOP, v.t.

1. To rise above the top.

2. To excel; to surpass.

3. To obscure; to make of less importance by superior excellence.

OVERTOWER, v.t. To soar too high.

OVERTRIP, v.t. To trip over; to walk nimbly over.

OVERTRUST, v.t. To trust with too much confidence.

OVERTURE, n.

1. Opening; disclosure; discovery. [In this literal sense, little used.]

2. Proposal; something offered for consideration, acceptance or rejection. The prince made overtures of peace, which were accepted.

3. The opening piece, prelude or symphony of some public act, ceremony or entertainment. The overture in theatrical entertainments, is a piece of music usually ending in a fugue. The overture of a jubilee is a general procession, etc.

OVERTURN, v.t.

1. To overset; to turn or throw from a basis or foundation; as, to overturn a carriage or a building.

2. To subvert; to ruin; to destroy.

3. To overpower; to conquer.

OVERTURN, n. State of being overturned or subverted; overthrow.

OVERTURNABLE, a. That may be overturned. [Not much used.]

OVERTURNED, pp. Overset; overthrown.

OVERTURNER, n. One that overturns or subverts.

OVERTURNING, ppr. Oversetting; overthrowing; subverting.

OVERTURNING, n. An oversetting; subversion; change; revolution.

OVERVALUE, v.t. To rate at too high a price.

OVERVAIL, OVERVEIL, v.t. To cover; to spread over.

OVERVOTE, v.t. To outvote; to outnumber in votes given.

OVERWATCH, v.t. To watch to excess; to subdue by long want of rest.

OVERWATCHED, a. Tired by too much watching.

OVERWEAK, a. Too weak; too feeble.

OVERWEARY, v.t. To subdue with fatigue.

OVERWEATHER, v.t. overweth’er. [See Weather.] To bruise or batter by violence of weather.

OVERWEEN, v.i. [ween is obsolete, except in composition. See the word.]

1. To think too highly; to think arrogantly or conceitedly.

2. To reach beyond the truth in thought; to think too favorably.

OVERWEENING, ppr.

1. Thinking too highly or conceitedly.

2. a. That thinks too highly, particularly of one’s self; conceited; vain; as overweening pride; an overweening brain.

OVERWEENINGLY, adv. With too much vanity or conceit.

OVERWEIGH, v.t. To exceed in weight; to cause to preponderate; to outweigh; to overbalance.

OVERWEIGHT, n. Greater weight; preponderance.

OVERWHELM, v.t.

1. To overspread or crush beneath something violent and weighty, that covers or encompasses the whole; as, to overwhelm with waves.

2. To immerse and bear down; in a figurative sense; as, to be overwhelmed with cares, afflictions or business.

3. To overlook gloomily.

4. To put over. [Not used.]