overhilladj.adv.
/ˈəʊvəhɪl/, /ˌəʊvəˈhɪl/, U.S. /ˈˌoʊvərˈˌhɪl/ A. adj.
1. Situated or living beyond a hill or hills.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > hill > [adjective] > situated or dwelling
seven-hilly1561
seven-hilled?1580
seven mountain-seated1624
hilly1632
overhill1763
hill-set1906
1763 Georgia Gaz. 7 Apr. 2/2 About the end of January, a Frenchman..arrived in the Overhill Cherokee towns from fort Assumption.
1765 H. Timberlake Mem. (title page) Illustrated with an Accurate Map of their Over-hill Settlement.
1835 R. M. Bird Hawks of Hawk-hollow I. vi. 83 From the time of the massacre of the over-hill Moravians..until the end of the year, Indians were ever prowling in the woods.
1901 Dundee Advertiser 7 June 4 This ridge divides the underhill and the overhill men.
1949 N. Carolina Hist. Rev. Jan. ii Econeguski joined his forces with those of the Overhill Cherokee chief, Pathfinder.
1992 R. Wright Stolen Continents (1993) iv. 98 Tanasi and its neighbours along the river became known to the English as the Overhill towns because they lay on the far side of the Smokies.
2. Of a route, journey, etc.: that runs across a hill or hills.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > hill > [adjective] > over
overhill1816
1816 M. L. Weems Let. in Ford's M. L. Weems: Wks. & Ways (1929) III. 164 I am just arrived from my overhill excursion.
1895 J. Winsor Mississippi Basin 183 To prepare the way for a revival of this over-hill trade.
2000 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 27 Feb. l12 The overhill shortcut was about three miles; by road the route is about 20 miles.
B. adv.
Over the hill.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > hill > [adverb] > over
overhill1901
1901 Dundee Advertiser 7 June 4 Overhill, to the south, they raise corn and sheep; underhill, to the north, they are graziers and dairy folk.
1978 K. J. Shapiro Poems 48 The sun, Virginia, on your Western stairs Pauses and smiles away between the trees, Motioning the soldier overhill to town.
1995 Chicago Tribune (Nexis) 11 Oct. 3 I wanted the feeling of the power of that stream that surges overhill around a valley.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
† overhillv.
Obsolete.
transitive. To cover over or up; = overhele v. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > cover [verb (transitive)] > cover over or up
bitheccheOE
bewrya1000
overheleOE
becoverc1325
overcovera1382
overhillc1390
hapc1400
whelvec1440
bield?1507
to cover over1530
obrute1542
overdight1581
whave1674
tile1719
beshroud1847
to cover up1872
c1390 W. Hilton Mixed Life (Vernon) in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1895) I. 276 (MED) Þou woldest furst lei þerto stikkes and ouerhule [v.r. ouer-hille] þe cole.
a1400 Psalter (Vesp.) xliii. 17 in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1896) II. 175 (MED) Schenschipe of mi face ouerhild me ai.
?c1425 Recipe in Coll. Ordinances Royal Househ. (Arun. 334) (1790) 460 Overhille the flesshe with the syrippe.
a1450 York Plays (1885) 12 (MED) Þe heuyn sall be ouer hyld with sternys to stand plente.
a1500 (?c1400) Earl of Toulous 101 in W. H. French & C. B. Hale Middle Eng. Metrical Romances (1930) I. 386 (MED) So moche blode there was spylte That the felde was ouyrhylte.
1553 tr. S. Gardiner De Vera Obediencia: Oration G vj b He..thinketh he lyeth closely in couert, as though his sides were overhilled.
1608 B. Jonson Masque of Beautie 44 in Characters Two Royall Masques Thy haire, thy beard..ore-hil'd with snow.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.adv.1763
v.c1390