"O" Word Origins

override

Old English

From Old English oferrīdan ("to ride over"), built from over- + ride; German überreiten is a cognate.

overrule

Origin

Built from over- + rule.

overrun

Origin

Built from over- + run.

overseas

German

From the older form oversea, with -s added; compare German Übersee and Dutch overzees.

oversee

Old English

From Old English ofersēon, built from over- + see.

overseer

Origin

From oversee + the agent suffix -er.

oversend

Origin

From Middle English oversenden (“to send over, transmit”), from Old English ofersendan (“to transmit”), from Proto-Germanic *uber (“over”) + *sandijaną (“to send”), corresponding to over- + send. Cognate with Middle Dutch oversenden (“to send over”), German übersenden (“to send, transmit”).

overshadow

Origin

From Middle English overschadwen, overschadewe, from Old English ofersċeadwian (“to overshadow”), equivalent to over- + shadow. Compare with West Frisian oerskaduwe (“to overshadow”), Dutch overschaduwen (“to overshadow”), German überschatten (“to overshadow”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ufarskadwjan, “to overshadow”), and more distantly, Old Norse yfirskyggja (“to overshadow”), Danish overskygge (“to overshadow”), Swedish överskugga (“to overshadow”), Old English ofersċūwan (“to overshadow”).

overshake

Origin

From over- + shake.

overside

Origin

1880, from the phrase over the side (of a ship), equivalent to over + side.

oversight

Origin

Built from over- + sight, so it literally covers both "watching over" and "looking past" something — hence its two opposite-feeling meanings.

oversized

Origin

Built from over- + sized.

overslaugh

Origin

From Dutch overslag, from Dutch overslaan.

oversleep

Old English

From over- + sleep, going back to Old English ofer- ("over") and slǣpan ("to sleep").

overslop

Origin

From Middle English oversloppe, Old English oferslop, oferslype (“an overgarment; surplice”), equivalent to over- + slop. Cognate with Icelandic yfirsloppur (“overalls”).

overstand

Origin

From Middle English overstonden, from Old English oferstandan (“to stand over”), equivalent to over- + stand. Cognate with Dutch overstaan (“to stand over”), German überstehen (“to stand through, survive”).

overstatement

Origin

From overstate + -ment or over- + statement.

overstep

Old English

From Old English ofersteppan, literally "to step over," built from over- + step.

oversum

Origin

From over- + sum.

oversummer

Origin

From over- + summer.

overt

Latin

From Old French overt/ouvert, "opened," ultimately from Latin aperire ("to open"). It is a doublet of aperture.

overtake

Middle English

From Middle English overtaken, built from over- + take, replacing an older verb overnimen with the same meaning.

overthink

Old English

From Old English oferþenċan, "to think over, consider," built from over- + think.

overthrow

Middle English

From Middle English overthrowen, formed from over- + throw.

overthwart

Origin

From Middle English overthwart, overthwert, overtwert, overquert, overwhart, equivalent to over- + thwart. Compare Dutch overdwaars (“across”), Danish overtvært (“across”).

overthwartly

Origin

From Middle English overthwertly; equivalent to overthwart + -ly.

overthwartness

Origin

From Middle English overþwartnes, overthwartnes; equivalent to overthwart + -ness.

overtime

Origin

From over- + time.

overtly

Origin

From overt + the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Overton

Old English

From Old English ōfer (“riverbank”) + tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

overtone

Origin

From over- + tone, calque of German Oberton.

overture

Latin

From Old French overture, ultimately from Latin apertura ("opening"). It is a doublet of aperture.

overturn

Middle English

From Middle English overturnen, formed from over- + turn.

overview

Origin

From over- + view.

overwatch

Origin

Formed from over- + watch, as a back-formation from the phrase "watch over."

overwater

Origin

From over- + water.

overweening

Origin

From Middle English overweninge, equivalent to overween + -ing. Cognate with obsolete Dutch overwanig, overwaand (“presumptuous; cocky; conceited”).

overweight

Origin

From over- + weight.

overwhelm

Middle English

From Middle English overwhelmen, formed from over- + an older word whelm meaning "to turn over" or "engulf."

overwhelming

Origin

Formed from overwhelm + -ing.

overwhelmingly

Origin

From overwhelming + -ly.

overwin

Origin

From Middle English overwinnen, from Old English oferwinnan (“to contend with, overcome, subdue”), equivalent to over- + win.

overwinter

Origin

From over- + winter. Compare Dutch overwinteren, German überwintern.

overwork

Old English

From Old English oferwyrċan, "to overwork," formed from over- + work.

overworked

Origin

From overwork + -ed.

overwrought

Origin

An old past participle of overwork, formed from over- + wrought (an archaic past tense of "work").

overzealous

Origin

From over- + zealous.

oviraptor

Origin

From scientific Latin Oviraptor (genus name), from Latin ōvi- (“ovi-”) + raptor (because it is believed to have fed on the eggs of other dinosaurs).