overexpressionn.
/ˌəʊv(ə)rᵻkˈsprɛʃn/, /ˌəʊv(ə)rɛkˈsprɛʃn/, U.S. /ˈˌoʊvərɪkˈsprɛʃ(ə)n/, /ˈˌoʊvərɛkˈsprɛʃ(ə)n/ 1. The excessive or exaggerated expression of feelings, an opinion, etc.
ΚΠ
1869 Spectator 29 May 645/2 But we see no sign at all of this ‘goody’ over-expression in the speeches of the Apostles as they are reported to us.
1899 Atlantic Monthly Jan. 125/1 The stage demands over-expression of everything, and our society demands under-expression.
1925 F. J. Teggart Theory of Hist. 196 The overexpression of individuality is one of the marked features of all epochs of change.
1958 Marriage & Family Living 20 87/2 These sequences..may flow with increasing age from over-expression of fear, through seeking and internalizing accessible comforts.
1986 Toronto Star (Nexis) 18 Sept. e10 Don't be offended if someone from a ‘contact culture’ is prone to over-expression.
2. Genetics. The production of abnormally large amounts of a substance which is coded for by a particular gene or group of genes; the appearance in the phenotype to an abnormally high degree of a character or effect attributed to a particular gene.
ΚΠ
1977 Somatic Cell Genetics 3 217 In early hybrid generations all hybrid lines showed enhancement of alkaline phosphatase activity, expressing 2-8 times the activity of the teratoma parental line. The overexpression of APase appears to take place in the stationary phase of the growth cycle.
1988 Cancer Surv. 7 441 Detection of gene alterations..and gene overexpression in early invasive cancers could be useful to establish a more reliable prognosis.
1997 Internat. Jrnl. Developmental Biol. 41 715 Targeted over-expression of members of this family of growth factors in the periphery of full-length primitive streak chick embryos produces the formation of ectopic neural cells that are able to differentiate into neurons.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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