OVERFLOW


Meaning of OVERFLOW in English

verb , noun

■ verb / ˌəʊvəˈfləʊ; NAmE ˌoʊvərˈfloʊ/

1.

overflow (with sth) | overflow sth to be so full that the contents go over the sides :

[ v ]

Plates overflowed with party food.

The bath is overflowing

( figurative )

Her heart overflowed with love.

[ vn ]

The river overflowed its banks.

2.

[ v ] overflow (with sth) ( of a place ) to have too many people in it :

The streets were overflowing with the crowds.

The hospitals are filled to overflowing (= with patients) .

3.

overflow (into sth) to spread beyond the limits of a place or container that is too full :

[ v ]

The meeting overflowed into the street.

[also vn ]

■ noun / ˈəʊvəfləʊ; NAmE ˈoʊvərfloʊ/

1.

[ U , sing. ] a number of people or things that do not fit into the space available :

A new office block was built to accommodate the overflow of staff.

an overflow car park

2.

[ U , sing. ] the action of liquid flowing out of a container, etc. that is already full; the liquid that flows out :

an overflow of water from the lake

( figurative )

an overflow of powerful emotions

3.

(also ˈoverflow pipe ) [ C ] a pipe that allows extra liquid to escape

4.

[ C , usually sing. ] ( computing ) a fault that happens because a number or data item (for example, the result of a calculation) is too large for the computer to represent it exactly

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WORD ORIGIN

Old English oferflōwan (see over- , flow ).

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.