Adjacent Words

Overrun definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OVERRUN', v.t.
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.
1 Samuel 18.
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.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: too much production or more than expected [syn: overproduction, overrun] v
1: invade in great numbers; "the roaches infested our kitchen" [syn: infest, overrun]
2: occupy in large numbers or live on a host; "the Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North" [syn: invade, overrun, infest]
3: flow or run over (a limit or brim) [syn: overflow, overrun, well over, run over, brim over]
4: seize the position of and defeat; "the Crusaders overran much of the Holy Land"
5: run beyond or past; "The plane overran the runway"

Merriam Webster's

I. transitive verb (overran; -run; -running) Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) to defeat decisively and occupy the positions of (2) to invade and occupy or ravage b. to spread or swarm over ; infest 2. a. to run or go beyond or past <the plane overran the runway> b. exceed <overrun a budget> c. to readjust (set type) by shifting letters or words from one line into another 3. to flow over <the river overran its banks> II. noun Date: 1898 1. an act or instance of overrunning; especially an exceeding of the costs estimated in a contract for development and manufacture of new equipment 2. the amount by which something overruns 3. a run in excess of the quantity ordered by a customer

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.tr. (-running; past -ran; past part. -run) 1 (of vermin, weeds, etc.) swarm or spread over. 2 conquer or ravage (territory) by force. 3 (of time, expenditure, production, etc.) exceed (a fixed limit). 4 Printing carry over (a word etc.) to the next line or page. 5 Mech. rotate faster than. 6 flood (land). --n. 1 an instance of overrunning. 2 the amount of this. 3 the movement of a vehicle at a speed greater than is imparted by the engine. Etymology: OE oferyrnan (as OVER-, RUN)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Overrun O`ver*run", v. i. 1. To run, pass, spread, or flow over or by something; to be beyond, or in excess. Despised and trodden down of all that overran. --Spenser. 2. (Print.) To extend beyond its due or desired length; as, a line, or advertisement, overruns.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Overrun O`ver*run", v. t. [imp. Overran; p. p. Overrun; p. pr. & vb. n. Overrunning. ] 1. To run over; to grow or spread over in excess; to invade and occupy; to take possession of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass. Those barbarous nations that overran the world. --Spenser. 2. To exceed in distance or speed of running; to go beyond or pass in running. Ahimaaz run by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. --2 Sam. xviii. 23. 3. To go beyond; to extend in part beyond; as, one line overruns another in length. Note: In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its bearing when its forward end goes beyond it. 4. To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon. None of them the feeble overran. --Spenser. 5. (Print.) (a) To carry over, or back, as type, from one line or page into the next after, or next before. (b) To extend the contents of (a line, column, or page) into the next line, column, or page.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Overrun O`ver*run", v. t. [imp. Overran; p. p. Overrun; p. pr. & vb. n. Overrunning. ] 1. To run over; to grow or spread over in excess; to invade and occupy; to take possession of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass. Those barbarous nations that overran the world. --Spenser. 2. To exceed in distance or speed of running; to go beyond or pass in running. Ahimaaz run by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. --2 Sam. xviii. 23. 3. To go beyond; to extend in part beyond; as, one line overruns another in length. Note: In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its bearing when its forward end goes beyond it. 4. To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon. None of them the feeble overran. --Spenser. 5. (Print.) (a) To carry over, or back, as type, from one line or page into the next after, or next before. (b) To extend the contents of (a line, column, or page) into the next line, column, or page.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(overruns, overrunning, overran) 1. If an army or an armed force overruns a place, area, or country, it succeeds in occupying it very quickly. A group of rebels overran the port area and most of the northern suburbs... VERB: V n 2. If you say that a place is overrun with things that you consider undesirable, you mean that there are a large number of them there. The Hotel has been ordered to close because it is overrun by mice and rats... Padua and Vicenza are prosperous, well-preserved cities, not overrun by tourists. ADJ: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ with/by n 3. If an event or meeting overruns by, for example, ten minutes, it continues for ten minutes longer than it was intended to. Tuesday's lunch overran by three-quarters of an hour... The talks overran their allotted time. VERB: V by n, V n, also V 4. If costs overrun, they are higher than was planned or expected. (BUSINESS) We should stop the nonsense of taxpayers trying to finance new weapons whose costs always overrun hugely... Costs overran the budget by about 30%. VERB: V, V n • Overrun is also a noun. He was stunned to discover cost overruns of at least $1 billion. N-COUNT: usu n N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Run over, spread over, grow over. 2. Ravage, devastate, despoil, lay waste, harass, subdue, oppress. 3. Outrun. 4. Injure, trample down. II. v. n. Overflow, run over.

Moby Thesaurus

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