overcomev.

Brit.

/ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/, U.S.

/ˌoʊvərˈkəm/

Inflections: Past tense overcame; past participle overcome;

Forms: see over- prefix and come v.; also Middle English ouercomn (past participle, transmission error), Middle English ouercummen (past tense, transmission error), Middle English ovyrcunne (transmission error).

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch overcomen (Dutch overkomen ), Middle Low German ȫverkōmen , Old High German ubarqueman (Middle High German überkomen , überkumen , German überkommen ), Old Swedish ivirkomma (Swedish överkomma ), Danish overkomme < the Germanic base of over- prefix + the Germanic base of come v.In sense 3a apparently only translating classical Latin supervenīre supervene v. With sense 3b compare come over at to come over 1 at come v. Phrasal verbs 1.

a. transitive. To get the better of, defeat, overpower, prevail over (an enemy, person or thing opposing one, etc.). Also in extended use.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > conquer or overcome

overcomeeOE

shendc893

awinc1000

overwinOE

overheaveOE

to lay downa1225

mate?c1225

discomfitc1230

win1297

dauntc1300

cumber1303

scomfit1303

fenkc1320

to bear downc1330

confoundc1330

confusec1330

to do, put arrear1330

oversetc1330

vanquishc1330

conquerc1374

overthrowc1375

oppressc1380

outfighta1382

to put downa1382

discomfortc1384

threshc1384

vencuea1400

depressc1400

venque?1402

ding?a1425

cumrayc1425

to put to (also at, unto) the (also one's) worsec1425

to bring or put to (or unto) utterance1430

distrussc1430

supprisec1440

ascomfita1450

to do stress?c1450

victorya1470

to make (win) a conquest1477

convanquish1483

conquest1485

defeat1485

oversailc1485

conques1488

discomfish1488

fulyie1488

distress1489

overpress1489

cravent1490

utter?1533

to give (a person) the overthrow1536

debel1542

convince1548

foil1548

out-war1548

profligate1548

proflige?c1550

expugnate1568

expugn1570

victor1576

dismay1596

damnify1598

triumph1605

convict1607

overman1609

thrash1609

beat1611

debellate1611

import1624

to cut to (or in) pieces1632

maitrise1636

worst1636

forcea1641

outfight1650

outgeneral1767

to cut up1803

smash1813

slosh1890

ream1918

hammer1948

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)]

overcomeeOE

forecomec1000

overwieldlOE

masterc1225

overmaistrie1340

overmatcha1375

overpassa1382

surmount1390

to have the fairer (of)c1400

maistriec1400

overmasterc1425

winc1440

overc1485

bestride1526

rixlec1540

overreach1555

control1567

overmate1567

govern1593

to give (a person) the lurch1598

get1600

to gain cope of1614

top1633

to fetch overa1640

down1641

to have the whip hand (of)1680

carberry1692

to cut down1713

to be more than a match for1762

outflank1773

outmaster1799

outgeneral1831

weather1834

best1839

fore-reach1845

to beat a person at his (also her, etc.) own game1849

scoop1850

euchrec1866

bemaster1871

negotiate1888

to do down1900

to get (someone) wetc1926

lick1946

eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) ii. iv. 42 Þonne hie hwelc folc mid gefeohte ofercumen hæfdon.

eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 84/2 Obtinuit, ofercuom.

OE Beowulf 1273 He þone feond ofercwom.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 1070 Þa Denescæ menn wændon þæt hi sceoldon ofercumen þa Frencisca men.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6275 Forr þu mihht cwemenn swa þin godd & oferrcumenn deofell.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 155 Mid þis wepne wes dauid iscrud þa he goliam þe fond ouer-com.

c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) 815 Ȝef vre on ouercomeþ ȝour þreo, Al þis lond schal vre beo.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) John xvi. 33 Triste ȝe, I haue ouercome [a1425 L.V. ouercomun] the world.

c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) 583 (MED) But oure kinde konninge ȝou ovurcomeþ nouþe In alle dedus þat ȝe don.

c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 103 [To] ourcum malice with vertu of pacience.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 5 (MED) He sawe afer a serpent and a toode fiȝte to-geder; But þe tode hadde ny þe victorie and ny ouercome þe serpent.

1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus ii. iv. sig. G iii^v Thou hast this daye wonne by assaulte or ouercome a stronge garyson or fortresse.

1573 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 3 Miht had alreddi overcumd riht.

1638 R. Brathwait Barnabees Journall (new ed.) iv. sig. Bb7 But their purpose I o'recommed.

1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan Concl. 391 He..that is slain, is Overcome, but not Conquered.

1703 W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. Mark xiv. 72 His fears overcame his Faith.

1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 82 The quotient will be the resistance overcome at the circumference of the wheel.

1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost x. 268 Unless we have fortitude to overcome these temptations, they will overcome us.

1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 19 His wife's attempts to wauken him Owercam' her skill and mettle.

1985 R. Whelan Robert Capa xxvii. 205 The Americans had almost completely overcome the small German garrison.

2001 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 12 Apr. 28/3 Ulysses S. Grant was a mere bludgeoner whose army overcame the more skilled and courageous enemy.

b. intransitive. To be victorious, gain the victory, conquer. Also in extended use.See also sense 1d.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > victory > be victorious [verb (intransitive)]

overcomea1200

win1297

conquerc1300

to bear, fang, have the flower (of)c1310

vanquish1382

to win one's shoesa1400

to win or achieve a checka1400

triumph1508

vince1530

import1600

victorize1641

beat1744

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 81 Quem superare nequis pacienter uince ferendo, þat þu mid strencðe ne miht ouercume, ouercum mid þoleburdnesse.

c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) l. 5 Þa-tou be made ryȝt-ful in þy wordes, and þatou ouercum whan þou art iuged.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) Apoc. iii. 21 I shal ȝiue to him that shal ouercome, for to sitte with me in my troone, as and I ouercam, and sat with my fadir in his troone.

a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (1987) iv. 1584 Men seyn, ‘the suffrant overcomith’, parde.

1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes iii. iii. 171 They of the chyrche ought not to reuenge hem but ought to ouercome by suffraunce.

a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 27 (MED) He ouercome yn all hor maters, and preued hor wyttys fals.

1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalips xxvii. 162 A Lion of the tribe of Iuda hath ouer-commen.

1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame sig. B4^v Ouercum in fecht and ȝe sall weare the Crowne.

a1678 A. Marvell Dialogue Soul & Pleasure in Misc. Poems (1681) 3 If thou overcom'st thou shalt be crown'd.

1684 J. W. in A. Behn Poems Several Occasions sig. (b)5^v But to o'ercome with Wit too is not fair.

1722 W. Philips Hibernia Freed ii. 19 Who flies the Battle sure to overcome? Love tears the Lawrel from the Victor's Brow.

a1809 H. Cowley Albina (1812) iii. ii. 49 If but the Thought o'ercome—avoid all Proof.

1842 Ld. Tennyson Godiva in Poems (new ed.) II. 112 But she Did more, and underwent, and overcame.

1946 J. Masefield Pavilastukay in Poems 884 Often, in places where the encroaching wood Had touched and clutched yet failed to overcome Leaving a building perfect, Jonnox stood.

1981 M. Angelou Heart of Woman ii. 43 Trying to overcome was black people's honorable tradition.

†c. transitive. To win (a battle). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > win (a victory or battle)

overcomec1275

getc1330

win1338

vanquisha1400

conquerc1475

conquest1485

obtain1530

import1598

gain1725

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 15816 Ȝif Oswy..þat feht maȝen ouer-cumen, we him sculleð to luken.

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) 5351 (MED) Gij & Herhaud & Tirri þe fre Wiþ her felawes..Han ouercomen þe batayle.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 3745 (MED) Ha lord, now al is wonne, Mi kniht the field hath overcome.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 6 (MED) Tuenty grete batailes Ine ouerkam.

a1475 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Harl.) (1927) 1596k (MED) Or þe batayle were ouercome, There dyed many a moder sone.

a1500 in A. Zettersten Middle Eng. Lapidary (1968) 29 (MED) Many haue ouercome here bataillis þorow vertu of that stone.

1574 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. 1 On the day they had ouercome any battaile.

1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie iii. iii. 73 [They] haue gotten & ouercome diuers battels.

d. we shall overcome and variants: we shall be victorious [a version of the title and opening line of an American Gospel song (compare quot. 1901)] .Adopted as a slogan (spoken or sung) by the American Civil Rights Movement and later used by other groups campaigning for social or economic justice, equality, etc.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > word or cry > [interjection] > specific watchword or slogan

hep1819

hey, Rube!1882

banzai1893

Sieg Heil1940

mop1945

Jai Hind1948

we shall overcome1948

1901 C. A. Tindley in C. A. Miles & M. A. Clifton New Songs of Gospel No. 27 (title) I'll overcome some day.]

1948 People's Songs Sept. 8 We will overcome, We will overcome, We will overcome some day. Oh Down in my heart, I do believe, We'll overcome some day.

1961 Jet 14 Dec. 53 That the Freedom Riders left their imprint on the prison was evident from the songs and slogans they scribbled on the walls. A favorite was the crusaders' theme We Shall Overcome.

1968 ‘Ebon’ Revolution 15 ‘We shall overcome’ And black Truth bombs Explode In the back, Alleys, Of Newark's Asshole.

1991 C. Eddy Stairway to Hell 63/2 ‘I Wish I Was a Girl’, a seven-minute-to-crescendo fuzzpump ‘We Shall Overcome’ for sissies, pansies, and pink fairies everywhere.

a. transitive. Chiefly in passive. Of an emotion, physical condition, etc.: to overpower or overwhelm; to exhaust or render helpless; to affect or influence excessively. Also of alcoholic drink: to intoxicate (a person). Frequently with by, with.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > passion > affect with passion or strong emotion [verb (transitive)] > overwhelm with strong emotion

overcomeeOE

overseteOE

overtakea1400

overwhelm1535

entrance1598

usurp1749

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)] > overcome or overwhelm

overcomeeOE

overgangOE

overnimOE

overswivec1175

foldc1275

overgoc1275

to bear downc1330

oversetc1330

outrayc1390

overleada1393

overreach?a1425

overwhelmc1425

to whelve overc1440

overruna1475

surprise1474

overpress1489

surbatea1500

overhale1531

overbear1535

overcrow1550

disable1582

surgain1586

overpower1597

overman1609

to come over ——1637

to run down1655

overpower1667

compel1697

to get over ——1784

overget1877

to grab (also take) by the balls1934

eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 114 Consternati, ofercymene.

eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 334 Obstipuit, forhtode, ofercymen wæs.

c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 173 Sanctus Petrus wæs swiðe mid þam wuldre ofercumen þe he þær iseah.

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 145 (MED) Hie waren ðurh hunger and mid ðurst all ouercumen.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 6290 He ne dorste is feblesse telle..Laste ȝif he vnderȝete þat he were so ouercome Þat he nolde fine ar he adde is lif him binome.

c1390 G. Chaucer Miller's Tale 3135 Thow art a fool; thy wit is ouercome!

c1429 Mirour Mans Saluacioune (1986) l. 2913 (MED) She was so feynt and ouercomen for sorowe.

a1450 St. Katherine (Richardson 44) (1884) 33 A merueylous lyght wherof þe holy virgyn was nyȝe ouercome wyth wonder and merueylynge.

c1450 Practica Phisicalia John of Burgundy in H. Schöffler Mittelengl. Medizinlit. (1919) 206 (MED) For þe brest ouercome with flewme: Take ysop and boyle yt with wyȝth wyne.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 648/1 I ranne so faste that I was almoste overcome with ronnyng.

1619 Rec. Perth Kirk Session 11 Jan. in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue V. 219/1 Haueing drunkin aquavytie till he wes ouercum thairuith.

1674 J. Milton Paradise Lost IV. 110 The Fiend repli'd not, overcome with rage.

1735 J. Swift Gulliver II. i. 98 Being quite dispirited with Toil, and wholly overcome by Grief and Despair, I lay down between two Ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my Days.

1763 F. Brooke Hist. Lady Julia Mandeville II. 185 Overcome by the excess of her sorrow, she fainted into the arms of her woman.

1882 H. de Windt On Equator 116 ‘Schnapps’..had..been too much for them, and ere dinner was over they were all—to use a mild expression—overcome.

1889 G. Gissing Nether World III. xii. 259 ‘You're a bad, selfish girl!’ he broke out, again overcome with anger.

1914 J. Joyce Dubliners xv She stopped, choking with sobs, and, overcome by emotion, flung herself face downward on the bed, sobbing in the quilt.

1966 G. Greene Comedians i. i. 36 I thought at first that he was saying a grace, but I think in fact he had been overcome with a feeling of nausea.

1989 Decanter Nov. (Suppl.) 4/1 So strong are the fumes that the warehouse doors have to be kept open when anyone is inside in case they are overcome.

†b. transitive. spec. Of a destructive or undesirable quality: to dominate or control (a person's mind or conduct). Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > power > influence > have influence with [verb (transitive)] > have controlling or prevailing influence upon

rule?c1225

govern1340

overcomec1400

charmc1540

rein1557

oversway1593

reign1844

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xiii. 11 How þis coueitise ouercome clerkes and prestes.

a1538 A. Abell Roit or Quheill of Tyme f. 40^v, in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Ourcum Quhilk herrice ourcome..Cerile, Bischop of Alexander.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. I. vi. 61 He was so ouercome with wrath and cruelnesse, that commonly he was the death of any that angred him.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) iv. vi. 33 A worthy Officer i' th' Warre, but Insolent, O'recome with Pride.

†c. transitive. figurative. To overload, overburden, or overflow the capacity of (a store or container). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > place > presence > fact of taking up space > take up space [verb (intransitive)] > be or become full > excessively

engorge1599

overfill?1615

overcome1697

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 93 Till..A Crop so plenteous, as the Land to load, O'recome the crowded Barns.

1708 J. Philips Cyder i. 34 Th' unfallow'd Glebe Yearly o'ercomes the Granaries with Store Of Golden Wheat.

†3.

a. transitive. To come upon, overtake. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke i. 35 Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te : gaast halig ofercymeð on ðeh.

OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke xxi. 34 Attendite autem uobis ne..superueniant in uos repentina dies illa : behealdað ðonne iuih..þætte ne..ofercymað on Iuih feerlic..dæge ðio uel ðe dæg.

b. transitive. To cross or pass over, or to arrive at the far side of (land, mountains, etc.); to traverse (a road). In early use also intransitive. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > [verb (transitive)] > traverse a distance or ground

runeOE

overcomeOE

meteOE

through-gangOE

passc1300

to pass over ——c1300

overpassc1325

tracec1381

travela1393

traverse?a1400

travelc1400

measure?a1425

walkc1450

go1483

journey1531

peragrate1542

trade1548

overspin1553

overtrace1573

tract1579

progress1587

invade1590

waste1590

wear1596

march1606

void1608

recovera1625

expatiate1627

lustrate1721

do1795

slip1817

cover1818

clear1823

track1823

itinerate1830

betravel1852

to roll off1867

OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John vi. 23 Aliæ uero superuenerunt naues a tiberiade iuxta locum ubi manducauerunt panem : oðero aec..ofercuomon..scioppo of ðæm londe neh ðær stoue ðer geeton..þæt bread.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1111 Syððan he þyder ofer com, manega unrada & bærnetta & hergunga hi heom betweonan gedydan.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1633 Longe weie he siðen ouer-cam.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. ii. 17 Þer wern to þe prest of Madyan seuen douȝters, þe which comen to ben drawe water..þer ouer come [L. supervenere] schepherdis & þrewen hem oute.

?c1550 tr. P. Vergil Eng. Hist. (1846) I. i. 42 After thei hadd overcomme the Alpes.

1688 A. Behn Oroonoko 189 We have not only difficult Lands to overcome, but Rivers to Wade, and Monsters to Incounter.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 44 Already we have half our way o'recome.

1835 A. B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes 7 I had over~come about half the space which separated it from me.

1875 W. Morris tr. Virgil Æneids xii. 907 And e'en the hero-gathered stone..O'ercame not all the space betwixt.

c. transitive. To get through or to the end of (a journey, etc.); to master or accomplish (a task, etc.). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > completing > complete (an action or piece of work) [verb (transitive)] > get finished with (a task, etc.)

overcome?c1225

speedc1340

overtake?a1400

rid1467

finish1526

absolve1574

to work off1618

to get over ——a1646

to finish with1823

the world > action or operation > completing > complete (an action or piece of work) [verb (transitive)] > reach or accomplish by effort

overcome?c1225

attain1393

achievea1569

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [verb (transitive)] > across

overgoeOE

to come overeOE

to go over ——OE

overcome?c1225

passc1300

overpassa1382

cross1583

traject1624

cut1634

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 94 Nu beoð crist aþonc þe twa dalen ouer cumen.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 148 Presumpcio. þet nimeð mare on hont þenne ha ouercume mei.

c1300 St. Leonard (Laud) 28 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 457 Þe Quene was with childe grete; þudere men gonne hire bringue, Ȝif heo þe betere miȝhte for solas ouer-come hire childingue.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll.) 246 We woll beseche youre good grace to reles us to sporte us with oure wyffis, for, worshyp be Cryste, this journey is well overcom.

1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 50^v If meadow be forward, be moweing of some; but mowe as the makers, may well ouercome.

1598 W. Phillip tr. J. H. van Linschoten Disc. Voy. E. & W. Indies i. xciv. 175/2 With great miserie and labor they ouercame their iournie.

1653 D. Osborne Lett. to Sir W. Temple (2002) 57 I am Extremely glad..to finde that you have overcome your longe Journy.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 112 Thus, under heavy Arms, the Youth of Rome Their long laborious Marches overcome .

4. transitive. To surmount (a difficulty or obstacle); to recover from (a blow, disaster, etc.).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > find no difficulty in [verb (transitive)] > surmount (difficulty or disaster)

overcomea1225

surmount1484

compass1561

superate1598

to get above ——1603

to get over ——1618

overa1800

to tide over1821

the world > action or operation > amending > restoration > restoration of a person > recovery from misfortune, error, etc. > [verb (transitive)]

overcomea1225

recoverc1330

overputa1382

overpassa1387

passa1500

digest1577

to put over1593

outwear1598

overseta1600

to make a saving game of it1600

repassa1631

to get over ——1662

overgeta1729

overcast1788

overa1800

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 129 (MED) He is ihealden strengere ðe ouor-cumþ his auȝen mod, þanne he ðe slecð and casteles nemð.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 968 Þa hæfde þa Troinisce men ouer-comen heora teonen.

c1330 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Auch.) (1966) 535 (MED) Nou al mi care ich haue ouercome.

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1871) III. 313 (MED) Þis nyȝt I schal assaye wheþer I schal overcome..þe fevere.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xv. 503 (MED) Crystes crosse..ouer-cam deþ.

c1450 (?c1408) J. Lydgate Reson & Sensuallyte (1901) 3572 (MED) Iason..Fortunyd was for to sustene Al the pereils..And ouer-kam hem euerychon.

a1500 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Life Man (Stowe) 16720 (MED) O thow blyssed Mayde..art the port and the havene off Elthe vnto..me stondyng..mydd off Trybulacions in this worlde, to ouerekomen hem.

1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. D.ij^v Yonge men ought not to be discouraged by the greatnesse of an enterpryse..for by continuaunce..it may be reclaymed and ouercome.

1609 Acts Parl. Scotl. (1816) IV. 434/1 His maiesteis admirable constancie hes sa ouercome all difficulteis that [etc.].

a1691 Duke of Alançon & Queen Elizabeth 159 I flattered my self that your presence would assist me very much, to overcome this new Obstacle.

1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World ii. 82 The more difficult..it was..the more it would please me to attempt and overcome it.

1846 W. Greener Sci. Gunnery (new ed.) 261 We have studied long and hard to overcome those objections.

1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 22 I do believe 'twis full a raith Ere we owercam' the blow.

1921 J. Galsworthy To Let 125 She had overcome the difficulty of a reduced income in a manner satisfactory to herself and her father.

1953 R. May Man's Search for Himself ii. 46 The first step in overcoming problems is to understand their causes.

1988 A. Storr School of Genius ix. 34 The creative act both expresses loss, and also helps the sufferer to overcome it.

†a. transitive. To overrun; to spread over, to cover. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > cover [verb (transitive)] > form or act as covering for > by spreading

overbredeeOE

overgoOE

overspreadc1230

overcomea1300

spread?1567

bespreada1664

a1300 (c1275) Physiologus (1991) 549 Ut of his ðrote cumeð a smel Mið his rem forð oueral, Ðat ouercumeð haliweie Wið swetnesse.

c1385 G. Chaucer Knight's Tale 2800 Vp to his brest was come The coold of deeth, that hadde hym ouercome.

a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xiv. 633 (MED) For he was Ouercomen so with his blood So it was Merveille that [he] vpe stood.

1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus ii. iii. 95 The trees..Ouercome with mosse and balefull misselto.

1607 J. Norden Surueyors Dialogue v. 240 I haue a peece of land, ouercome with a kind of weed that is full of prickles.

1855 R. Browning Grammarian's Funeral 18 All the peaks soar, but one the rest excels; Clouds overcome it.

b. transitive. In extended use: to come over (a person), esp. suddenly; to take (a person) by surprise.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > surprise, astonish [verb (transitive)] > take by surprise

oppressa1382

susprisea1400

swikec1400

supprisec1405

catchc1425

to take (a person) at advantage(s)1523

to take (also rarely catch, find) a person tardy1530

to take tarde1547

to take (a person) short1553

to catch (also take) (a person) nappinga1576

preoccupate1582

surprise?1592

overcomea1616

to take (or catch)‥unawaresa1616

to take at a surprise1691

to catch (also take) on the hop1868

to catch (a person) bending1910

wrong-foot1957

a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iii. iv. 110 Can such things be, And ouercome vs like a Summers Clowd, Without our speciall wonder?

1823 J. Galt Entail II. xxxi. 295 Notwithstanding all the preparations which Walkinshaw had made to hear the proposal with firmness, it overcame him like a thunder-clap.

1879 G. Meredith Egoist I. viii. 130 ‘Now, Crossjay,’ she said. Dense gloom overcame him like a cowl.

1902 J. Payne Poet. Wks. I. 347 Anger overcame him like a sea.

1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl xvi. 353 She heard the sound far off, strange, yelling, wonderful; and the same ache for she knew not what overcame her, so that she felt one might go mad.

1992 Independent (Nexis) 8 Nov. 26 With a lap and a half to go..he was 60 metres clear... A sudden realisation overcame Byers, the crowd and the rest of the pack that the rabbit might outstay the hounds.

†6. intransitive. To come about in the course of time; to happen, befall; to supervene. Obsolete.In quot. a1425 in perfect tense formed with to be.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > occurrence > [verb (intransitive)]

becomec888

i-tidec888

falleOE

ywortheOE

i-limp975

belimpOE

i-timeOE

worthOE

tidea1131

goa1200

arearc1275

syec1275

betide1297

fere1297

risea1350

to come aboutc1350

overcomea1382

passa1393

comea1400

to come in (also to, on, etc.) placea1400

eschew?a1400

chevec1400

shapec1400

hold1462

to come (also go) to pass1481

proceed?1518

occura1522

bechance1527

overpass1530

sorta1535

succeed1537

adventurec1540

to fall toc1540

success1545

to fall forth1569

fadge1573

beword?1577

to fall in1578

happen1580

event1590

arrive1600

offer1601

grow1614

fudge1615

incur1626

evene1654

obvene1654

to take place1770

transpire1775

to go on1873

to show up1879

materialize1885

break1914

cook1932

to go down1946

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) : Prov. (Bodl. 959) xxvii. 1 Vnknowynge what þe day to ouercomen [L. superventura..dies] brynge forþ.

a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (1987) iv. 1069 Thynges alle and some, That whilom ben byfalle and overcome.

†7. transitive. To go beyond, exceed, surpass; to outstrip in quality, measure, number, etc. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > advancement or progress > outdoing or surpassing > outdo or surpass [verb (transitive)]

overstyeOE

overshinec1175

overgoc1225

passc1225

surmountc1369

forpassc1374

overmatcha1375

overpassa1382

to pass overa1393

overcomec1400

outpass?a1425

exceedc1425

precedec1425

superexcelc1429

transcendc1430

precel?a1439

outcut1447

overgrowc1475

to come over ——a1479

excel1493

overleapa1500

vanquish1533

outweigh1534

prevent1540

better1548

preferc1550

outgo1553

surpassa1555

exsuperate1559

cote1566

overtop1567

outrun1575

outstrip1579

outsail1580

overruna1586

pre-excel1587

outbid1589

outbrave1589

out-cote1589

top1590

outmatch1593

outvie1594

superate1595

surbravec1600

oversile1608

over-height1611

overstride1614

outdoa1616

outlustrea1616

outpeera1616

outstrikea1616

outrival1622

antecede1624

out-top1624

antecell1625

out-pitch1627

over-merit1629

outblazea1634

surmatch1636

overdoa1640

overact1643

outact1644

worst1646

overspana1657

outsoar1674

outdazzle1691

to cut down1713

ding1724

to cut out1738

cap1821

by-pass1848

overtower1850

pretergress1851

outray1876

outreach1879

cut1884

outperform1937

outrate1955

one-up1963

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. x. 449 (MED) Dauyd maketh mencioun he spake amonges kynges, And miȝte no kynge ouercome hym as bi kunnyng of speche.

c1410 tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 149 His body overcomen þe heiȝt of þe wal.

a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Deut. vii. 7 Not for ȝe ouercamen [a1425 E.V. vencusiden; L. vincebatis] in noumbre alle folkis, the Lord is ioyned to ȝou, and chees ȝow, sithen ȝe ben fewere than alle puplis.

a1450 ( tr. Vegetius De Re Militari (Douce) f. 13 (MED) He and his were swifter þan þey, and wiþ cours of rennynge ouercome hem.

?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 50 (MED) Þou xalt ovyr-come in welth and wele all þi fomen.

a1500 in A. Zettersten Middle Eng. Lapidary (1968) 29 (MED) Rubies ouercomyth all rede stonys..and aboue all other she is of grete vertu.

?1571 tr. G. Buchanan Detectioun Marie Quene of Scottes sig. Riij I..will nat be ouercumme by hyr in loyall obseruaunce.

c1610–15 tr. St. Gregory of Nyssa Life St. Macrina in C. Horstmann Lives Women Saints (1886) 197 To goe forward and to ouercome precedent vertuous actions with better.

1643 J. Burroughes Expos. Hosea (1652) ii. 176 The idols they had..did even overcome the Egyptian idols in number.

1656 R. Fletcher tr. Martial Epigrams ix. lxviii, in Ex Otio Negotium 84 I enjoyd a buxsom lass all night with mee, Which none could overcome in venerie.

1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 170 But there is many a youth Now crescent, who will come to all I am And overcome it.

†8. intransitive. Chiefly Scottish. To recover one's health; to recover from fainting; to revive from a faint. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

?c1400 tr. Secreta Secret. (Sloane) (1977) 14 (MED) If þou wille wite..of a seke man wheþer he sale dye or life..departe al þe hole by nene..And..þou salt se..who sale ouercome, who sale raþer dye.

a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) 8399 (MED) A swoun she fel as she stoode..Clarionas at last ouercam.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xviii. 134 Schir philip of his desynais Ourcome, and persauit he was Tane.

?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) iii. l. 1934 in Shorter Poems (1967) 120 Quhill finally out of my dedly swoun I swyth ouircome.

1568 (a1500) Freiris Berwik 551 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1930) IV. 277 Fra þe wind wes blawin twyiss in his face Than he ourcome w^tin a lytill space.

1616 in C. Rogers Social Life Scotl. (1886) III. 301 Immediatelie thaireftir the kow ouircome and wes alsweill as she was.

1714 J. H. Thomson Cloud of Witnesses (1871) 420 I fell into a sound; and when overcame again, they were standing about, looking on me.

1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess 20 When she o'ercame, the tear fell in her eye.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	overcome
释义	overcomen.¹ Brit. /ˈəʊvəkʌm/, U.S. /ˈoʊvərˌkəm/, Scottish English /ˈovərkʌm/ Forms: see over- prefix and come n.¹ Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: over- prefix, come n.¹ Etymology: < over- prefix + come n.¹In sense 3 after overcome v. In sense 5 after to come over at come v. Phrasal verbs 1. Scottish. 1. That which is left over; a surplus, an excess. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > that which is left or remainder > [noun] > what remains in excess surplusc1374 overplusa1387 thrifta1387 surplusagec1407 surplusagec1407 superplusage1436 overdealc1440 overcome1445 superplusa1450 superfluities1483 upperplus1578 super1626 reserve1646 overs1864 overmatter1887 1445 in W. Fraser Melvilles & Leslies (1890) III. 30 Ande gife the forsaide Johne of Wemys landis..be fundyne..mar of value..the said Schir Andrewe sal recompence..to the value of the ourcome. 1507 Edinb. Burgh Court Bk. in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue f. 9, at Ourcum & gif the hois be better he to recompens that ourcome. 1581–2 Burntisland Burgh Court (Edinb. Reg. House) 20 Feb. in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue V. 154/1 He deliwerit him..v frank & ane halff Frenche money for the wnwarit owrcom off the saminge heringe. 1614 in J. D. Marwick Rec. Convent. Royal Burghs Scotl. (1870) II. 464 The said officers stipend..to be payit..as followes..the ane halfe thairof be the excressence and overcum of the ministers stipend. 1675 W. Cunningham Diary 23 Dec. (1887) 63 To my wife, being the overcome of the money which I gave her to buy the above-m^d things with, 06 15 2. 1679 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. (Edinb. Reg. House) f. 13 To 16 bolles 2 pecks overcome salt. 1754 Session Papers in Sc. National Dict. (1965) VI. at Owercome I shall make up what Paisley Measure wants of Renfrew, if you will deliver me any Overcome of Paisley above Renfrew. 1777 Whole Proc. Jockey & Maggy (rev. ed.) i. 5 An when she dies am to pay the earding o' her honestly, and a' the o'ercome is to be my ain. 1827 W. Taylor Poems 105 I selt, and paid whate'er was borrow'd The o'ercome ye kept it sicker. a1869 C. Spence From Braes of Carse (1898) 166 Wi' twa' pund ten how could I sleep? Sic owrecome fashes folk to keep! 1882 ‘J. Strathesk’ Bits from Blinkbonny iii. 47 To share o' the o'ercome when a' thing was paid. 1905 in Eng. World-wide (1983) 4 87 Hoo mony are the fee'd servants o' my faither, wha hae sowth o' breid, and an ower-come; while I, here. dee o' hung'er! 2. The chorus or refrain of a song; a favourite, hackneyed, or overused phrase; a catchphrase. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > repetition > [noun] > something repeated overword?a1513 sanctus1594 reassumption1611 dixit1628 overcome?a1800 parrot cry1814 stereotype1850 repetend1874 parrot-echo1892 society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > vocal music > a song > [noun] > refrain refraid?a1439 overword?a1513 refrain1530 foot1538 counterverse1570 faburden1580 burden1598 holding1598 chorus1601 foreburden1603 bob1606 ludden1607 down1611 nonnya1616 rame?c1625 tag1717 overcome?a1800 overturn1825 ?a1800 Jacobite Relics (1821) 2nd Ser. 192 And aye the o'ercome o' his sang Was ‘Waes me for Prince Charlie!’ 1814 C. I. Johnstone Saxon & Gaël I. 109 The grace o' a grey bunnock is the baking o't. That was aye her o'ercome. 1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona xvii. 190 ‘We'll ding the Campbells yet!’ that was still his overcome. 1912 N. Munro Ayrshire Idylls 302 He gave the name so soft a turn, it mourned upon his tongue, and moved me like the owercome of a song. 1927 Brit. Weekly 20 Jan. 426/1 The thing had shrunk from a tale to an ‘owercome’, a form of words which every one knew but few could interpret. 1932 A. Gray Arrows 82 And aye the gowk's ouercome was heard: Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo. †3. Something that overwhelms or prostrates a person; a sudden attack or shock. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being upset or perturbed > state of being shocked > [noun] > shocking thing overcome1821 shocker1824 gross-out1966 traumatism1973 trauma1977 1821 J. Galt Ann. Parish xviii. 174 Mrs Balwhidder thought that I had met with an o'ercome, and was very uneasy. 1893 ‘G. Setoun’ Barncraig xxiv Poor Phloss! this owercome's made an auld man o' him a'at aince. †4. An outcome, a result. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > causation > effect, result, or consequence > [noun] > outcome or that which results issuea1325 outcominga1382 conclusionc1384 endc1385 fruita1400 finec1405 termination?a1425 sumc1430 succession1514 sequel1524 game1530 success1537 event1539 pass1542 increase1560 outgate1568 exit1570 cropc1575 utmosta1586 upshoot1598 sequence1600 upshot1604 resultance1616 upshut1620 succedenta1633 apotelesm1636 come-off1640 conclude1643 prosult1647 offcome1666 resultant1692 outlet1710 period1713 outcome1788 outrun1801 outcome1808 upset1821 overcome1822 upping1828 summary1831 outgo1870 upcomec1874 out-turn1881 end-product1923 pay-off1926 wash-up1961 1822 J. Galt Sir Andrew Wylie II. xvii. 162 Heaven only knows what will be the o'ercome o' this visitation. †5. A crossing, a voyage across the sea. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > [noun] > a voyage > across overcome1866 1866 W. Gregor Dial. Banffshire (Philol. Soc.) 121 We hid a gey ourcome fin we cam hain fae America. 1880 Jamieson's Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. (new ed.) (at cited word) We had a wild ourcome fae America. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022). overcomeadj.n.² Brit. /ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈkəm/ Forms: see overcome v. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: English overcome , overcome v. Etymology: < overcome, past participle of overcome v. That has been overcome (in various senses of the verb); (in early use esp.) defeated, conquered.In quot. 1585 as noun (with the and plural agreement): defeated people regarded as a class. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > defeat > [adjective] matec1225 conquestc1400 convictc1430 triumphate1471 devict?a1475 vanquishedc1485 discomfecta1529 overcome1530 profligate1535 discomfited1538 defeatc1540 discomfishedc1540 suppriseda1547 beaten1550 conquered1552 ydaunted1581 overmastereda1586 expugned1598 profligated1599 tattered1599 triumphed1605 overcomed1607 fight-rac't?1611 convicteda1616 worsted1641 foiled1810 lost1822 defeateda1859 outfought1891 OE tr. Titles to Psychomachia of Prudentius (Cleo.) xiv, in Zeitschr. f. Deutsches Alterthum (1876) 20 37 Pudicitia libidinem extinctam increpat : her seo clænnes þa fulnesse ofercumene þreað. ?a1425 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. iv. pr. vi. 257 Lucan..telleth that the victorious cause likide to the goddes, and the cause overcomen [L. uictam] likide to Cato. c1450 Cato's Distichs (Sidney Sussex) 269 in Englische Studien (1906) 36 24 (MED) Ofte we se þe ouercome man þe ouercomer discumfite kan. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll.) 800 Yelde you there as presonere and as an overcom knyght by the hondys of sir Bors. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 320/1 Overcome, espris..mat. 1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie i. xxi. 26 b Two great figures of the ouercome. 1874 T. Hardy Far from Madding Crowd II. x. 116 ‘There is a dog outside,’ murmured the overcome traveller. ‘Where is he gone? He helped me.’ 1992 Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator (Nexis) 24 Sept. a1 At one point, an overcome Mr. Martin left the news conference..to regain his composure. 2002 Sunday Times (Nexis) 6 Jan. ‘I only thank God that I am alive in the same era as such a woman,’ declared one overcome fan. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022). overcomev. Brit. /ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈkəm/ Inflections: Past tense overcame; past participle overcome; Forms: see over- prefix and come v.; also Middle English ouercomn (past participle, transmission error), Middle English ouercummen (past tense, transmission error), Middle English ovyrcunne (transmission error). Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch overcomen (Dutch overkomen ), Middle Low German ȫverkōmen , Old High German ubarqueman (Middle High German überkomen , überkumen , German überkommen ), Old Swedish ivirkomma (Swedish överkomma ), Danish overkomme < the Germanic base of over- prefix + the Germanic base of come v.In sense 3a apparently only translating classical Latin supervenīre supervene v. With sense 3b compare come over at to come over 1 at come v. Phrasal verbs 1. 1. a. transitive. To get the better of, defeat, overpower, prevail over (an enemy, person or thing opposing one, etc.). Also in extended use. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > conquer or overcome overcomeeOE shendc893 awinc1000 overwinOE overheaveOE to lay downa1225 mate?c1225 discomfitc1230 win1297 dauntc1300 cumber1303 scomfit1303 fenkc1320 to bear downc1330 confoundc1330 confusec1330 to do, put arrear1330 oversetc1330 vanquishc1330 conquerc1374 overthrowc1375 oppressc1380 outfighta1382 to put downa1382 discomfortc1384 threshc1384 vencuea1400 depressc1400 venque?1402 ding?a1425 cumrayc1425 to put to (also at, unto) the (also one's) worsec1425 to bring or put to (or unto) utterance1430 distrussc1430 supprisec1440 ascomfita1450 to do stress?c1450 victorya1470 to make (win) a conquest1477 convanquish1483 conquest1485 defeat1485 oversailc1485 conques1488 discomfish1488 fulyie1488 distress1489 overpress1489 cravent1490 utter?1533 to give (a person) the overthrow1536 debel1542 convince1548 foil1548 out-war1548 profligate1548 proflige?c1550 expugnate1568 expugn1570 victor1576 dismay1596 damnify1598 triumph1605 convict1607 overman1609 thrash1609 beat1611 debellate1611 import1624 to cut to (or in) pieces1632 maitrise1636 worst1636 forcea1641 outfight1650 outgeneral1767 to cut up1803 smash1813 slosh1890 ream1918 hammer1948 the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)] overcomeeOE forecomec1000 overwieldlOE masterc1225 overmaistrie1340 overmatcha1375 overpassa1382 surmount1390 to have the fairer (of)c1400 maistriec1400 overmasterc1425 winc1440 overc1485 bestride1526 rixlec1540 overreach1555 control1567 overmate1567 govern1593 to give (a person) the lurch1598 get1600 to gain cope of1614 top1633 to fetch overa1640 down1641 to have the whip hand (of)1680 carberry1692 to cut down1713 to be more than a match for1762 outflank1773 outmaster1799 outgeneral1831 weather1834 best1839 fore-reach1845 to beat a person at his (also her, etc.) own game1849 scoop1850 euchrec1866 bemaster1871 negotiate1888 to do down1900 to get (someone) wetc1926 lick1946 eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) ii. iv. 42 Þonne hie hwelc folc mid gefeohte ofercumen hæfdon. eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 84/2 Obtinuit, ofercuom. OE Beowulf 1273 He þone feond ofercwom. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 1070 Þa Denescæ menn wændon þæt hi sceoldon ofercumen þa Frencisca men. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6275 Forr þu mihht cwemenn swa þin godd & oferrcumenn deofell. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 155 Mid þis wepne wes dauid iscrud þa he goliam þe fond ouer-com. c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) 815 Ȝef vre on ouercomeþ ȝour þreo, Al þis lond schal vre beo. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) John xvi. 33 Triste ȝe, I haue ouercome [a1425 L.V. ouercomun] the world. c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) 583 (MED) But oure kinde konninge ȝou ovurcomeþ nouþe In alle dedus þat ȝe don. c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 103 [To] ourcum malice with vertu of pacience. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 5 (MED) He sawe afer a serpent and a toode fiȝte to-geder; But þe tode hadde ny þe victorie and ny ouercome þe serpent. 1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus ii. iv. sig. G iii^v Thou hast this daye wonne by assaulte or ouercome a stronge garyson or fortresse. 1573 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 3 Miht had alreddi overcumd riht. 1638 R. Brathwait Barnabees Journall (new ed.) iv. sig. Bb7 But their purpose I o'recommed. 1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan Concl. 391 He..that is slain, is Overcome, but not Conquered. 1703 W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. Mark xiv. 72 His fears overcame his Faith. 1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 82 The quotient will be the resistance overcome at the circumference of the wheel. 1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost x. 268 Unless we have fortitude to overcome these temptations, they will overcome us. 1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 19 His wife's attempts to wauken him Owercam' her skill and mettle. 1985 R. Whelan Robert Capa xxvii. 205 The Americans had almost completely overcome the small German garrison. 2001 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 12 Apr. 28/3 Ulysses S. Grant was a mere bludgeoner whose army overcame the more skilled and courageous enemy. b. intransitive. To be victorious, gain the victory, conquer. Also in extended use.See also sense 1d. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > victory > be victorious [verb (intransitive)] overcomea1200 win1297 conquerc1300 to bear, fang, have the flower (of)c1310 vanquish1382 to win one's shoesa1400 to win or achieve a checka1400 triumph1508 vince1530 import1600 victorize1641 beat1744 a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 81 Quem superare nequis pacienter uince ferendo, þat þu mid strencðe ne miht ouercume, ouercum mid þoleburdnesse. c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) l. 5 Þa-tou be made ryȝt-ful in þy wordes, and þatou ouercum whan þou art iuged. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) Apoc. iii. 21 I shal ȝiue to him that shal ouercome, for to sitte with me in my troone, as and I ouercam, and sat with my fadir in his troone. a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (1987) iv. 1584 Men seyn, ‘the suffrant overcomith’, parde. 1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes iii. iii. 171 They of the chyrche ought not to reuenge hem but ought to ouercome by suffraunce. a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 27 (MED) He ouercome yn all hor maters, and preued hor wyttys fals. 1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalips xxvii. 162 A Lion of the tribe of Iuda hath ouer-commen. 1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame sig. B4^v Ouercum in fecht and ȝe sall weare the Crowne. a1678 A. Marvell Dialogue Soul & Pleasure in Misc. Poems (1681) 3 If thou overcom'st thou shalt be crown'd. 1684 J. W. in A. Behn Poems Several Occasions sig. (b)5^v But to o'ercome with Wit too is not fair. 1722 W. Philips Hibernia Freed ii. 19 Who flies the Battle sure to overcome? Love tears the Lawrel from the Victor's Brow. a1809 H. Cowley Albina (1812) iii. ii. 49 If but the Thought o'ercome—avoid all Proof. 1842 Ld. Tennyson Godiva in Poems (new ed.) II. 112 But she Did more, and underwent, and overcame. 1946 J. Masefield Pavilastukay in Poems 884 Often, in places where the encroaching wood Had touched and clutched yet failed to overcome Leaving a building perfect, Jonnox stood. 1981 M. Angelou Heart of Woman ii. 43 Trying to overcome was black people's honorable tradition. †c. transitive. To win (a battle). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > win (a victory or battle) overcomec1275 getc1330 win1338 vanquisha1400 conquerc1475 conquest1485 obtain1530 import1598 gain1725 c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 15816 Ȝif Oswy..þat feht maȝen ouer-cumen, we him sculleð to luken. c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) 5351 (MED) Gij & Herhaud & Tirri þe fre Wiþ her felawes..Han ouercomen þe batayle. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 3745 (MED) Ha lord, now al is wonne, Mi kniht the field hath overcome. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 6 (MED) Tuenty grete batailes Ine ouerkam. a1475 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Harl.) (1927) 1596k (MED) Or þe batayle were ouercome, There dyed many a moder sone. a1500 in A. Zettersten Middle Eng. Lapidary (1968) 29 (MED) Many haue ouercome here bataillis þorow vertu of that stone. 1574 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. 1 On the day they had ouercome any battaile. 1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie iii. iii. 73 [They] haue gotten & ouercome diuers battels. d. we shall overcome and variants: we shall be victorious [a version of the title and opening line of an American Gospel song (compare quot. 1901)] .Adopted as a slogan (spoken or sung) by the American Civil Rights Movement and later used by other groups campaigning for social or economic justice, equality, etc. ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > word or cry > [interjection] > specific watchword or slogan hep1819 hey, Rube!1882 banzai1893 Sieg Heil1940 mop1945 Jai Hind1948 we shall overcome1948 1901 C. A. Tindley in C. A. Miles & M. A. Clifton New Songs of Gospel No. 27 (title) I'll overcome some day.] 1948 People's Songs Sept. 8 We will overcome, We will overcome, We will overcome some day. Oh Down in my heart, I do believe, We'll overcome some day. 1961 Jet 14 Dec. 53 That the Freedom Riders left their imprint on the prison was evident from the songs and slogans they scribbled on the walls. A favorite was the crusaders' theme We Shall Overcome. 1968 ‘Ebon’ Revolution 15 ‘We shall overcome’ And black Truth bombs Explode In the back, Alleys, Of Newark's Asshole. 1991 C. Eddy Stairway to Hell 63/2 ‘I Wish I Was a Girl’, a seven-minute-to-crescendo fuzzpump ‘We Shall Overcome’ for sissies, pansies, and pink fairies everywhere. 2. a. transitive. Chiefly in passive. Of an emotion, physical condition, etc.: to overpower or overwhelm; to exhaust or render helpless; to affect or influence excessively. Also of alcoholic drink: to intoxicate (a person). Frequently with by, with. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > passion > affect with passion or strong emotion [verb (transitive)] > overwhelm with strong emotion overcomeeOE overseteOE overtakea1400 overwhelm1535 entrance1598 usurp1749 the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)] > overcome or overwhelm overcomeeOE overgangOE overnimOE overswivec1175 foldc1275 overgoc1275 to bear downc1330 oversetc1330 outrayc1390 overleada1393 overreach?a1425 overwhelmc1425 to whelve overc1440 overruna1475 surprise1474 overpress1489 surbatea1500 overhale1531 overbear1535 overcrow1550 disable1582 surgain1586 overpower1597 overman1609 to come over ——1637 to run down1655 overpower1667 compel1697 to get over ——1784 overget1877 to grab (also take) by the balls1934 eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 114 Consternati, ofercymene. eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 334 Obstipuit, forhtode, ofercymen wæs. c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 173 Sanctus Petrus wæs swiðe mid þam wuldre ofercumen þe he þær iseah. a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 145 (MED) Hie waren ðurh hunger and mid ðurst all ouercumen. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 6290 He ne dorste is feblesse telle..Laste ȝif he vnderȝete þat he were so ouercome Þat he nolde fine ar he adde is lif him binome. c1390 G. Chaucer Miller's Tale 3135 Thow art a fool; thy wit is ouercome! c1429 Mirour Mans Saluacioune (1986) l. 2913 (MED) She was so feynt and ouercomen for sorowe. a1450 St. Katherine (Richardson 44) (1884) 33 A merueylous lyght wherof þe holy virgyn was nyȝe ouercome wyth wonder and merueylynge. c1450 Practica Phisicalia John of Burgundy in H. Schöffler Mittelengl. Medizinlit. (1919) 206 (MED) For þe brest ouercome with flewme: Take ysop and boyle yt with wyȝth wyne. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 648/1 I ranne so faste that I was almoste overcome with ronnyng. 1619 Rec. Perth Kirk Session 11 Jan. in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue V. 219/1 Haueing drunkin aquavytie till he wes ouercum thairuith. 1674 J. Milton Paradise Lost IV. 110 The Fiend repli'd not, overcome with rage. 1735 J. Swift Gulliver II. i. 98 Being quite dispirited with Toil, and wholly overcome by Grief and Despair, I lay down between two Ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my Days. 1763 F. Brooke Hist. Lady Julia Mandeville II. 185 Overcome by the excess of her sorrow, she fainted into the arms of her woman. 1882 H. de Windt On Equator 116 ‘Schnapps’..had..been too much for them, and ere dinner was over they were all—to use a mild expression—overcome. 1889 G. Gissing Nether World III. xii. 259 ‘You're a bad, selfish girl!’ he broke out, again overcome with anger. 1914 J. Joyce Dubliners xv She stopped, choking with sobs, and, overcome by emotion, flung herself face downward on the bed, sobbing in the quilt. 1966 G. Greene Comedians i. i. 36 I thought at first that he was saying a grace, but I think in fact he had been overcome with a feeling of nausea. 1989 Decanter Nov. (Suppl.) 4/1 So strong are the fumes that the warehouse doors have to be kept open when anyone is inside in case they are overcome. †b. transitive. spec. Of a destructive or undesirable quality: to dominate or control (a person's mind or conduct). Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > authority > power > influence > have influence with [verb (transitive)] > have controlling or prevailing influence upon rule?c1225 govern1340 overcomec1400 charmc1540 rein1557 oversway1593 reign1844 c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xiii. 11 How þis coueitise ouercome clerkes and prestes. a1538 A. Abell Roit or Quheill of Tyme f. 40^v, in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Ourcum Quhilk herrice ourcome..Cerile, Bischop of Alexander. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. I. vi. 61 He was so ouercome with wrath and cruelnesse, that commonly he was the death of any that angred him. a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) iv. vi. 33 A worthy Officer i' th' Warre, but Insolent, O'recome with Pride. View more context for this quotation †c. transitive. figurative. To overload, overburden, or overflow the capacity of (a store or container). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > place > presence > fact of taking up space > take up space [verb (intransitive)] > be or become full > excessively engorge1599 overfill?1615 overcome1697 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 93 Till..A Crop so plenteous, as the Land to load, O'recome the crowded Barns. View more context for this quotation 1708 J. Philips Cyder i. 34 Th' unfallow'd Glebe Yearly o'ercomes the Granaries with Store Of Golden Wheat. †3. a. transitive. To come upon, overtake. Obsolete. ΚΠ OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke i. 35 Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te : gaast halig ofercymeð on ðeh. OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke xxi. 34 Attendite autem uobis ne..superueniant in uos repentina dies illa : behealdað ðonne iuih..þætte ne..ofercymað on Iuih feerlic..dæge ðio uel ðe dæg. b. transitive. To cross or pass over, or to arrive at the far side of (land, mountains, etc.); to traverse (a road). In early use also intransitive. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > travel > [verb (transitive)] > traverse a distance or ground runeOE overcomeOE meteOE through-gangOE passc1300 to pass over ——c1300 overpassc1325 tracec1381 travela1393 traverse?a1400 travelc1400 measure?a1425 walkc1450 go1483 journey1531 peragrate1542 trade1548 overspin1553 overtrace1573 tract1579 progress1587 invade1590 waste1590 wear1596 march1606 void1608 recovera1625 expatiate1627 lustrate1721 do1795 slip1817 cover1818 clear1823 track1823 itinerate1830 betravel1852 to roll off1867 OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John vi. 23 Aliæ uero superuenerunt naues a tiberiade iuxta locum ubi manducauerunt panem : oðero aec..ofercuomon..scioppo of ðæm londe neh ðær stoue ðer geeton..þæt bread. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1111 Syððan he þyder ofer com, manega unrada & bærnetta & hergunga hi heom betweonan gedydan. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1633 Longe weie he siðen ouer-cam. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. ii. 17 Þer wern to þe prest of Madyan seuen douȝters, þe which comen to ben drawe water..þer ouer come [L. supervenere] schepherdis & þrewen hem oute. ?c1550 tr. P. Vergil Eng. Hist. (1846) I. i. 42 After thei hadd overcomme the Alpes. 1688 A. Behn Oroonoko 189 We have not only difficult Lands to overcome, but Rivers to Wade, and Monsters to Incounter. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 44 Already we have half our way o'recome. 1835 A. B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes 7 I had over~come about half the space which separated it from me. 1875 W. Morris tr. Virgil Æneids xii. 907 And e'en the hero-gathered stone..O'ercame not all the space betwixt. c. transitive. To get through or to the end of (a journey, etc.); to master or accomplish (a task, etc.). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > completing > complete (an action or piece of work) [verb (transitive)] > get finished with (a task, etc.) overcome?c1225 speedc1340 overtake?a1400 rid1467 finish1526 absolve1574 to work off1618 to get over ——a1646 to finish with1823 the world > action or operation > completing > complete (an action or piece of work) [verb (transitive)] > reach or accomplish by effort overcome?c1225 attain1393 achievea1569 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [verb (transitive)] > across overgoeOE to come overeOE to go over ——OE overcome?c1225 passc1300 overpassa1382 cross1583 traject1624 cut1634 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 94 Nu beoð crist aþonc þe twa dalen ouer cumen. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 148 Presumpcio. þet nimeð mare on hont þenne ha ouercume mei. c1300 St. Leonard (Laud) 28 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 457 Þe Quene was with childe grete; þudere men gonne hire bringue, Ȝif heo þe betere miȝhte for solas ouer-come hire childingue. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll.) 246 We woll beseche youre good grace to reles us to sporte us with oure wyffis, for, worshyp be Cryste, this journey is well overcom. 1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 50^v If meadow be forward, be moweing of some; but mowe as the makers, may well ouercome. 1598 W. Phillip tr. J. H. van Linschoten Disc. Voy. E. & W. Indies i. xciv. 175/2 With great miserie and labor they ouercame their iournie. 1653 D. Osborne Lett. to Sir W. Temple (2002) 57 I am Extremely glad..to finde that you have overcome your longe Journy. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 112 Thus, under heavy Arms, the Youth of Rome Their long laborious Marches overcome . View more context for this quotation 4. transitive. To surmount (a difficulty or obstacle); to recover from (a blow, disaster, etc.). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > find no difficulty in [verb (transitive)] > surmount (difficulty or disaster) overcomea1225 surmount1484 compass1561 superate1598 to get above ——1603 to get over ——1618 overa1800 to tide over1821 the world > action or operation > amending > restoration > restoration of a person > recovery from misfortune, error, etc. > [verb (transitive)] overcomea1225 recoverc1330 overputa1382 overpassa1387 passa1500 digest1577 to put over1593 outwear1598 overseta1600 to make a saving game of it1600 repassa1631 to get over ——1662 overgeta1729 overcast1788 overa1800 a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 129 (MED) He is ihealden strengere ðe ouor-cumþ his auȝen mod, þanne he ðe slecð and casteles nemð. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 968 Þa hæfde þa Troinisce men ouer-comen heora teonen. c1330 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Auch.) (1966) 535 (MED) Nou al mi care ich haue ouercome. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1871) III. 313 (MED) Þis nyȝt I schal assaye wheþer I schal overcome..þe fevere. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xv. 503 (MED) Crystes crosse..ouer-cam deþ. c1450 (?c1408) J. Lydgate Reson & Sensuallyte (1901) 3572 (MED) Iason..Fortunyd was for to sustene Al the pereils..And ouer-kam hem euerychon. a1500 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Life Man (Stowe) 16720 (MED) O thow blyssed Mayde..art the port and the havene off Elthe vnto..me stondyng..mydd off Trybulacions in this worlde, to ouerekomen hem. 1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. D.ij^v Yonge men ought not to be discouraged by the greatnesse of an enterpryse..for by continuaunce..it may be reclaymed and ouercome. 1609 Acts Parl. Scotl. (1816) IV. 434/1 His maiesteis admirable constancie hes sa ouercome all difficulteis that [etc.]. a1691 Duke of Alançon & Queen Elizabeth 159 I flattered my self that your presence would assist me very much, to overcome this new Obstacle. 1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World ii. 82 The more difficult..it was..the more it would please me to attempt and overcome it. 1846 W. Greener Sci. Gunnery (new ed.) 261 We have studied long and hard to overcome those objections. 1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 22 I do believe 'twis full a raith Ere we owercam' the blow. 1921 J. Galsworthy To Let 125 She had overcome the difficulty of a reduced income in a manner satisfactory to herself and her father. 1953 R. May Man's Search for Himself ii. 46 The first step in overcoming problems is to understand their causes. 1988 A. Storr School of Genius ix. 34 The creative act both expresses loss, and also helps the sufferer to overcome it. 5. †a. transitive. To overrun; to spread over, to cover. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > cover [verb (transitive)] > form or act as covering for > by spreading overbredeeOE overgoOE overspreadc1230 overcomea1300 spread?1567 bespreada1664 a1300 (c1275) Physiologus (1991) 549 Ut of his ðrote cumeð a smel Mið his rem forð oueral, Ðat ouercumeð haliweie Wið swetnesse. c1385 G. Chaucer Knight's Tale 2800 Vp to his brest was come The coold of deeth, that hadde hym ouercome. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xiv. 633 (MED) For he was Ouercomen so with his blood So it was Merveille that [he] vpe stood. 1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus ii. iii. 95 The trees..Ouercome with mosse and balefull misselto. View more context for this quotation 1607 J. Norden Surueyors Dialogue v. 240 I haue a peece of land, ouercome with a kind of weed that is full of prickles. 1855 R. Browning Grammarian's Funeral 18 All the peaks soar, but one the rest excels; Clouds overcome it. b. transitive. In extended use: to come over (a person), esp. suddenly; to take (a person) by surprise. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > surprise, astonish [verb (transitive)] > take by surprise oppressa1382 susprisea1400 swikec1400 supprisec1405 catchc1425 to take (a person) at advantage(s)1523 to take (also rarely catch, find) a person tardy1530 to take tarde1547 to take (a person) short1553 to catch (also take) (a person) nappinga1576 preoccupate1582 surprise?1592 overcomea1616 to take (or catch)‥unawaresa1616 to take at a surprise1691 to catch (also take) on the hop1868 to catch (a person) bending1910 wrong-foot1957 a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iii. iv. 110 Can such things be, And ouercome vs like a Summers Clowd, Without our speciall wonder? View more context for this quotation 1823 J. Galt Entail II. xxxi. 295 Notwithstanding all the preparations which Walkinshaw had made to hear the proposal with firmness, it overcame him like a thunder-clap. 1879 G. Meredith Egoist I. viii. 130 ‘Now, Crossjay,’ she said. Dense gloom overcame him like a cowl. 1902 J. Payne Poet. Wks. I. 347 Anger overcame him like a sea. 1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl xvi. 353 She heard the sound far off, strange, yelling, wonderful; and the same ache for she knew not what overcame her, so that she felt one might go mad. 1992 Independent (Nexis) 8 Nov. 26 With a lap and a half to go..he was 60 metres clear... A sudden realisation overcame Byers, the crowd and the rest of the pack that the rabbit might outstay the hounds. †6. intransitive. To come about in the course of time; to happen, befall; to supervene. Obsolete.In quot. a1425 in perfect tense formed with to be. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > occurrence > [verb (intransitive)] becomec888 i-tidec888 falleOE ywortheOE i-limp975 belimpOE i-timeOE worthOE tidea1131 goa1200 arearc1275 syec1275 betide1297 fere1297 risea1350 to come aboutc1350 overcomea1382 passa1393 comea1400 to come in (also to, on, etc.) placea1400 eschew?a1400 chevec1400 shapec1400 hold1462 to come (also go) to pass1481 proceed?1518 occura1522 bechance1527 overpass1530 sorta1535 succeed1537 adventurec1540 to fall toc1540 success1545 to fall forth1569 fadge1573 beword?1577 to fall in1578 happen1580 event1590 arrive1600 offer1601 grow1614 fudge1615 incur1626 evene1654 obvene1654 to take place1770 transpire1775 to go on1873 to show up1879 materialize1885 break1914 cook1932 to go down1946 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) : Prov. (Bodl. 959) xxvii. 1 Vnknowynge what þe day to ouercomen [L. superventura..dies] brynge forþ. a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (1987) iv. 1069 Thynges alle and some, That whilom ben byfalle and overcome. †7. transitive. To go beyond, exceed, surpass; to outstrip in quality, measure, number, etc. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > advancement or progress > outdoing or surpassing > outdo or surpass [verb (transitive)] overstyeOE overshinec1175 overgoc1225 passc1225 surmountc1369 forpassc1374 overmatcha1375 overpassa1382 to pass overa1393 overcomec1400 outpass?a1425 exceedc1425 precedec1425 superexcelc1429 transcendc1430 precel?a1439 outcut1447 overgrowc1475 to come over ——a1479 excel1493 overleapa1500 vanquish1533 outweigh1534 prevent1540 better1548 preferc1550 outgo1553 surpassa1555 exsuperate1559 cote1566 overtop1567 outrun1575 outstrip1579 outsail1580 overruna1586 pre-excel1587 outbid1589 outbrave1589 out-cote1589 top1590 outmatch1593 outvie1594 superate1595 surbravec1600 oversile1608 over-height1611 overstride1614 outdoa1616 outlustrea1616 outpeera1616 outstrikea1616 outrival1622 antecede1624 out-top1624 antecell1625 out-pitch1627 over-merit1629 outblazea1634 surmatch1636 overdoa1640 overact1643 outact1644 worst1646 overspana1657 outsoar1674 outdazzle1691 to cut down1713 ding1724 to cut out1738 cap1821 by-pass1848 overtower1850 pretergress1851 outray1876 outreach1879 cut1884 outperform1937 outrate1955 one-up1963 c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. x. 449 (MED) Dauyd maketh mencioun he spake amonges kynges, And miȝte no kynge ouercome hym as bi kunnyng of speche. c1410 tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 149 His body overcomen þe heiȝt of þe wal. a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Deut. vii. 7 Not for ȝe ouercamen [a1425 E.V. vencusiden; L. vincebatis] in noumbre alle folkis, the Lord is ioyned to ȝou, and chees ȝow, sithen ȝe ben fewere than alle puplis. a1450 ( tr. Vegetius De Re Militari (Douce) f. 13 (MED) He and his were swifter þan þey, and wiþ cours of rennynge ouercome hem. ?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 50 (MED) Þou xalt ovyr-come in welth and wele all þi fomen. a1500 in A. Zettersten Middle Eng. Lapidary (1968) 29 (MED) Rubies ouercomyth all rede stonys..and aboue all other she is of grete vertu. ?1571 tr. G. Buchanan Detectioun Marie Quene of Scottes sig. Riij I..will nat be ouercumme by hyr in loyall obseruaunce. c1610–15 tr. St. Gregory of Nyssa Life St. Macrina in C. Horstmann Lives Women Saints (1886) 197 To goe forward and to ouercome precedent vertuous actions with better. 1643 J. Burroughes Expos. Hosea (1652) ii. 176 The idols they had..did even overcome the Egyptian idols in number. 1656 R. Fletcher tr. Martial Epigrams ix. lxviii, in Ex Otio Negotium 84 I enjoyd a buxsom lass all night with mee, Which none could overcome in venerie. 1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 170 But there is many a youth Now crescent, who will come to all I am And overcome it. †8. intransitive. Chiefly Scottish. To recover one's health; to recover from fainting; to revive from a faint. Obsolete. ΚΠ ?c1400 tr. Secreta Secret. (Sloane) (1977) 14 (MED) If þou wille wite..of a seke man wheþer he sale dye or life..departe al þe hole by nene..And..þou salt se..who sale ouercome, who sale raþer dye. a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) 8399 (MED) A swoun she fel as she stoode..Clarionas at last ouercam. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xviii. 134 Schir philip of his desynais Ourcome, and persauit he was Tane. ?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) iii. l. 1934 in Shorter Poems (1967) 120 Quhill finally out of my dedly swoun I swyth ouircome. 1568 (a1500) Freiris Berwik 551 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1930) IV. 277 Fra þe wind wes blawin twyiss in his face Than he ourcome w^tin a lytill space. 1616 in C. Rogers Social Life Scotl. (1886) III. 301 Immediatelie thaireftir the kow ouircome and wes alsweill as she was. 1714 J. H. Thomson Cloud of Witnesses (1871) 420 I fell into a sound; and when overcame again, they were standing about, looking on me. 1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess 20 When she o'ercame, the tear fell in her eye. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.¹1445adj.n.²OEv.eOE
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overcomen.1

overcomeadj.n.2

overcomev.

overcomen.¹

overcomeadj.n.²