overgreatness 
overgreatness (6-ver-grat'nes), . Excessive 
or undesirable greatness or power. 
The ovfrnreatiww of Seleucus. 
Raleigh, Hist. World, IV. v. 5. 
OVergreedy (6-ver-gre'di), . [< ME. "overgre- 
dy, < AS. ofergrcedig, overgreedy, < ofer, over, 
+ grasdig, greedy.] Greedy to excess. 
The commonwealth is sick of their own choice ; 
Their over-greedy love hath surfeited. 
SAo*.,2Hen. IV.,i. 3. 88. 
evergreen (6-ver-gren'), v. t. 1. To cover with 
verdure. 2t. To color so as to conceal blem- 
ishes ; embellish. 
What care I who calls me well or ill, 
So you o'er-green my bad, my good allow ? 
Shak., Sonnets, cxii. 
overground (6 'ver- ground), a. Above the 
ground; not underground: as, overground travel. 
overgrow (6-ver-gro' ), v. [< ME. overgroicen (= 
D. oi-ergroeijen = Dan. overgro); < over + grow.'} 
1. trans. 1. To cover with growth or herbage. 
Yf that thi land with hem be overgrowe, 
Devide it thus. 
Palladim, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 0. 
Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted ; 
Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden. 
Shak., 2 Hen. VI., iii. 1.82. 
2. To grow beyond; rise above; grow too big 
for; outgrow. 
This was a wondir world ho so well lokyd, 
That gromes ouere-grewe so many grette maistris. 
Richard the Redeless, iii. 344. 
If the binds be very strong, and much over-grow the 
poles, some advise to strike off their heads with a long 
switch. Mortimer, Husbandry. 
3f. To overcome; weigh down; oppress. 
Cure my cattle when they're overgrown with labour. 
Gibber, Love Makes the Man, i. 
II. intrans. To grow beyond the fit or natu- 
ral size. 
Princes do keep due sentinel, that none of their neigh- 
bours do overgrow so (by increase of territory, by embra- 
cing of trade, by approaches, or the like) as they become 
more able to annoy them. Bacon, Empire (ed. 1887). 
The chief source of the distractions of the country lay 
in the overgrown powers, and factious spirit, of the nobil- 
ity. Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 26. 
OVergTOWnt (6-ver-gron'), p. a. Fully grown. 
Few Countreyes are lesse troubled with death, sicknesse, 
or any other disease, nor where overgrovme women become 
more fruitfull. 
Quoted in Capt. John Snath's True Travels, II. 258. 
Overgrown mackerel. See mackerel^. 
overgrowth (6'ver-groth), n. 1. A growth over 
or upon something else. 2. Exuberant or ex- 
cessive growth. 
A wonderful overgrowth in riches. Bacon, Riches. 
over-hair (6'ver-har), . The longer and usu- 
ally stiffer hairs of a mammal's pelage which 
overlie the main fur. Eneyc. Brit., IX. 836. 
OVerhalet (6-ver-hal'), v. t. [= D. overhalen = 
Sw. ofverhala = Dan. overhale; as over + hale 1 .'] 
1. To draw or haul over; overhaul. 
And nowe the frosty Night 
Her mantle black through heaven gan overhaile. 
Spenser, Shep. Cal., January. 
2. To overcome. 
The only kind of hounds, for mouth and nostril best ; 
That cold doth seldom fret, nor heat doth over-hale. 
Drayton, Polyolbion, iii. 33. 
overhand (6'ver-hand'), adv. 1 . With the hand 
over the object; with the knuckles upward; 
with the hand raised higher than the elbow : op- 
posed to underhand : as, he bowls overhand. 
Also, the spoon is not generally used over-hand, but un- 
der. Dickens, Great Expectations, xxii. 
2. In mining, from below upward : used in ref- 
erence to stoping out the contents of the vein. 
See stope, it. and v. 3. In needlework, over and 
over. 
overhand (6'ver-hand), .. 1. In cricket, with 
the hand raised above the elbow or over the 
ball: as, overhand bowling. 2. In base-ball, 
with the hand above the shoulder: as, overhand 
pitching. 3. In mining, done from below up- 
ward: as, overhand stoping Overhand knot See 
knoti. 
OVerhandt (6'ver-hand), n. [< ME. overhand 
= D. overhand = MLG. overhant = MHG. tiber- 
hant, G. oberhand= Sw. ofverhand = Dan. over- 
haand; as over + hand.} The upper hand; su- 
periority; supremacy. 
And trust suerly, ye shall wele vnderstonde, 
That we shall haue of them the ouer hande. 
Qenerydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2996. 
overhand (6'ver-hand), r. t. [< overhand, adv.} 
In needlework, to sew over and over. 
overhanded (6'ver-han"ded), a. Having the 
hand above the object or higher than the el- 
bow; overhand. 
4200 
overhandle (6-ver-han'dl), r. t. To handle too 
much; discuss too often. 
Your idle over-handled theme. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 770. 
overhang (6-ver-hang'), . I. trans. 1. To im- 
pend or Bang over ; jut or project over; hence, 
to threaten. 
Look o'er thy head, Maximian ; 
Look to thy terrour, what over-hangs thee. 
Fletcher (and another"!), Prophetess (ed. 1778X v. 1. 
Aide me, ye forests, in your closest bowers, . . . 
Where bordering hazel overhangs the streams. 
Gay, Rural Sports, i. 6i 
He was persuaded that immediate and extreme danger 
overhung the life of the nation. 
Bancroft, Hist. Const., 1. 109. 
There is a path along the cliffs overhanging the sea. 
B. Taylor, Lands of the Saracen, p. 20. 
The gray-blue eyes, I see them still, 
The gallant front with brown o'erhung. 
Lowell, To Holmes. 
2. To overdo with ornamentation. 
To him the upholsterer is no Pontiff, neither is any 
Drawing-room a Temple, were it never so begilt and over- 
Carlyle. 
3. To support from above Overhung door. See 
door. 
II. intrans. To jut over: opposed to batter. 
The rest was craggy cliff that overhung 
Still as it rose, impossible to climb. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 547. 
The sea-beat overhanging rock. 
William, Morris, Earthly Paradise, I. 173. 
overhang (6'ver-hang), n. [< overhang, v.~\ A 
projecting part ; also, the extent to which some 
part projects: as, the overhang of the ship's 
stern is 20 feet. 
The under side of the overhang near the stern is cut out 
in the middle, forming a cavity needed to give free sweep 
to the propeller-blades. The Century, XXXL 293. 
overhardyt (6-ver-har'di), a. Excessively or 
unduly hardy, daring, or confident; foolhardy. 
Gascoigne. 
overhaste (6'ver-hast), n. Too great haste. 
overhastily (6-ver-has'ti-li), adv. In an over- 
hasty manner; with too much haste. 
Excepting myself and two or three more that mean not 
overhastily to marry. Hales, To Sir D. Carleton. (Latham.) 
overhastiness (6-ver-has'ti-nes), n. The state 
of being overhasty; too much haste ; precipita- 
tion. Sir J. Reresby. 
Overhasty (6-ver-has'ti), a. Too hasty; rash; 
precipitate. 
Not overhasty to cleanse or purify. 
Hammond, Works, IV. 505. 
overhaul (6-ver-hal'), v. t. [< over + haul. Of. 
overhale.} 1. To turn over for examination; 
examine thoroughly with a view to repairs. 
During our watches below we overhauled our clothes, 
and made and mended everything for bad weather. 
R. H. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. 381. 
2. To reexamine, as accounts. 3. To gain 
upon ; make up with ; overtake. To overhaul a 
rope, to clear or disentangle a rope; pull a part of it 
through a block so as to make it slack. To overhaul a 
ship. Naut. : (a) To come up with or gain ground upon 
a ship. (6) To search a ship for contraband goods. To 
overhaul a tackle (naut.), to open and extend the sev- 
eral parts of a tackle so as to separate the blocks, in order 
that they may be again placed in a condition for use. 
overhaul (6'ver-hal), n. [< overhaul, v.] Ex- 
amination; inspection; repair. 
overhauling (6-ver-ha'ling), n. [Verbal n. of 
overhaul, v.} Same as overhaul. 
overhead (6'ver-hed'), adv. 1. Aloft; above; 
in the zenith ; in the ceiling or story above. 
The sail 
Flapped o'erhead as the wind did fail 
Fitful that eve. 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, II. 96. 
2. Per head: properly two words. 
overhead (6'ver-hed), a. [< overhead, adv.} 
Situated above or aloft Overhead crane. See 
crane*. Overhead gear. See gear. Overhead mo- 
tion or work. See motion. Overhead rein. See rein. 
Overhead seam, the seam of a sack by which its mouth 
is closed after it is filled. Overhead steam-engine, an 
engine in which the cylinder is above the crank, the thrust- 
motion being downward. 
OVerhealt (6-ver-heT), v. t. [< ME. overheleii, 
overhilen; < over + heal 2 .} To cover over. 
In a shadow of shene tres & of shyre floures, 
Ouer hild for the hete hengyng with leues. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2374. 
overhear (6-ver-her'), v. t. [< ME. "overhereti, 
< AS. oferhyran, oferhiran, oferhi&ran, overhear, 
also disobey (= OS. obharhorjan = D. overhooren 
= MHG. G. iilierhoren = Dan. overho're), < ofer, 
over, + hyran, hear: see hear.} 1. To hear (one 
who does not wish to be heard or does not know 
that he is heard, or what is not addressed to 
over-king 
the hearer or is not intended to be heard by 
him); hear by accident or stratagem. 
You may look pale, but I should blush, I know, 
To be o'erheard, and taken napping so. 
Shak., L. L. L., iv. 3. ISO. 
2f. To hear over again; hear from beginning 
to end. 
I stole into a neighbour thicket by, 
And overheard what you shall overhear. 
Shak., L. L. L., V. 2. 95. 
overheat (6-ver-hef), (. t. To heat to excess. 
overheat (6'ver-het), . 1. Excessive heat. 
2. Sunstroke. Alien, and Neurol., IX. 509. 
overheating-pipe (6-ver-he'ting-pip), . In a 
steam-engine, a pipe through which steam is 
made to pass in order that it may be super- 
heated. E. H. Knight. 
OVerheavet (6-ver-hev'), v. i. [< ME. overheb- 
l>en, < AS. oferheVban, pass by, omit, < ofer, over, 
+ hebban, heave, raise: see heave.'} To over- 
cast. 
When other seen derk cloudes over hove. 
Palladius, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 36. 
OVerhendt (6-ver-hend'), r. t. To overtake. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 18. 
OVerhipt (6-ver-hip'), v. t. [< ME. overhippen; 
< over + hip 3 .} To leap over; skip over; omit. 
Wher-fore I am afered of folke of holikirke, 
Lest thei ouerhuppen as other don in offices and in houres. 
Piers Plowman (B), xv. 379. 
When the time is overhipt. Holland. 
overholdt (6-ver-hold'), v. t. To overvalue ; 
hold or estimate at too dear a rate. 
If he overhold his price so much, 
We'll none of him. Shale., T. and C., ii. 3. 142. 
OVerhours (6'ver-ourz), n.pl. Time beyond the 
regular number of hours; too long hours of 
labor. 
Sir John Lubbock . . . brought in a Bill limiting the 
hours in which persons could be employed in shops. . . . 
I was astonished at discovering where the worst cases of 
over-hours were. Contemporary Rev., LI. 686. 
overhouse (6'ver-hous), a. Stretched along or 
across the roofs of houses or other buildings, 
as distinguished from stretched or carried on 
poles or underground : as, overltoiise telegraph- 
wires. [Rare.] 
In the city of Providence, Rhode Island, there is an 
overhouse wire about one mile in extent with a telephone 
at either end. Prescott, Electrical Inventions, p. 79. 
over-inform (o'ver-in-fonn'), c. t. To animate 
or actuate to excess. [Bare.] 
Wit so exuberant that it over-informs its tenement. 
Johnson. 
overissue (6-ver-ish'o), v. t. To issue in excess, 
as bank-notes or bills of exchange beyond the 
number or amount authorized by law or war- 
ranted by the capital stock; more loosely, to 
issue in excess of the wants of the public or the 
ability of the issuer to pay ; issue contrary to 
law, prudence, or honesty. 
Overissue (6'ver-ish"6), . An excessive issue ; 
an issue in excess of the conditions which 
should regulate or control it. See the verb. 
He performed the most base and pernicious frauds on 
the currency, which he not only debased by an overissue 
of government paper, but actually changed by secret for- 
geries. Brougham. 
overjoy (6-ver-joi'), v. t. To give great or ex- 
treme joy to; transport with gladness: gen- 
erally in the past participle. 
Bid him shed tears, as being overjoy'd 
To see her noble lord restored to health. 
Shak., T. of the S., Ind., i. 120. 
Well, thou art e'en the best man 
I can say no more, I am so overjoy'd. 
Beau, and Fl., Coxcomb, ii. 1. 
overjoy (6'ver-joi), u. Joy to excess; trans- 
port. 
To salute my king 
With ruder terms, such as my wit affords 
And over-joy of heart doth minister. 
Shak., 2 Hen. VI., i. 1. 31. 
Death came so last towards me that the overjoy of that 
recovered me. Donne, Letters, cvii. 
overjump (6-ver-jump'), p. t. To jump over; 
overleap ; hence, to pass over ; pass without 
notice ; permit to pass. 
Can not so lightly overjump his death. Marston. 
OVerkeept (6-ver-kep'), !'. t. To keep or ob- 
serve too strictly. 
If God would have a Sabbath kept, they overkeep it. 
Rev. T. Adams, Works, II. 339. (Davies.) 
OVerkind (6-ver-kmd' ), . Kind to excess ; kind 
beyond deserts; unnecessarily kind. SJial'., 
W. T., i. 1. 23. 
over-king (o' ver- king), ii. A king holding 
sway over several petty kings or princes. 
