I. |ōvə|(r)ȯl adverb
Etymology: Middle English overal, from Old English ofer eall, from ofer over + eall all
1.
a. : all over : everywhere
man was ripe for civilization and erupted into it overall — D.S.Stewart
ships in the fjord were dressed overall — London Calling
b. : as a whole : in toto , generally
overall , the picture quality was good — Cecil McGivern
overall and in most of its detail the film has remarkable power — Time
2. : from one extreme point to another of anything including any projections ; specifically : from the extreme forward point to the extreme after point of the deck of a ship including overhangs
the boat's dimensions are 34 feet overall — Rudder
II. ˈōvəˌrȯl, chiefly in substand speech -və(r)ˌhȯ- in sense 1c noun
( -s )
Etymology: over (II) + all, pron.
1. over·alls plural
a. archaic : loose trousers or leggings worn over regular clothes as a protection from bad weather or dirt
b. : close-fitting trousers worn as part of certain British uniforms or for formal riding
c. : trousers made of strong material usually with a bib and shoulder straps and worn especially by workmen
2. chiefly Britain : an outer garment ; especially : a loose-fitting protective garment like a long coat or a smock worn over regular clothing
a laboratory worker in a white overall
III. |ōvə|(r)ȯl adjective
Etymology: over (II) + all, pron.
1. : including everything between the two extreme points
the overall length of a ship
2.
a. : taking all units into account : total
overall sales of wholesalers … increased 10 5 — Americana Annual
judge what the overall demand … may be — C.F.Craig
overall industry growth seems well assured — Brookmire Investment Reports
b. : of or relating to something as a whole : viewed as a whole : general
like the overall composition and design — Levon West
the overall picture … was bright — New Englander
: comprehensive
an overall view of the problem
3. : placed over or upon other bearings and therefore hiding them in part — used of a heraldic charge