I. | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ verb
Etymology: Middle English overrinnen, overrennen, from Old English oferyrnan, from ofer, adverb, over + yrnan, iernan to run
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to defeat utterly and occupy the positions of : overwhelm , overpower , crush
one company of the 25th Division was overrun — Time
(2) : to invade and occupy or ravage
among the barbarous nations who overran the western provinces of the Roman Empire — Adam Smith
had their own way in overrunning the seaboard — Paul Blanshard
b. obsolete : to run over destructively or harmfully : run down
c. : to spread or swarm over : infest
the island was overrun by rats — Current History
a crumbled ruin overrun by the jungle — James Reach
2.
a. : to run faster, further, or better than : pass in running : outrun
b.
(1) : to run, go, or extend beyond or past
the plane overran the runway
(2) : exceed
overran by so great a margin any possible gains — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich
warned him not to overrun his time — Punch
c.
(1) : to readjust (as lines, columns, or pages) by shifting letters or words from one line into another or a line or lines from one column or page to another
(2) : to print more copies of than were ordered ; also : to print extra copies of (as a section of a magazine containing an article to be available separately)
(3) : overset
d. : to cause or permit (as an engine) to overrun
e. : to operate (as a lamp or a motor) at higher than normal or rated voltage, pressure, or power
3. : to flow over
the waves did little else than overrun the beach — J.A.Steers
intransitive verb
1. : to run, pass, spread, or flow over or by something
2. : to go or extend beyond limits : be in excess: as
a. : to run too far
an engine operating a winch may overrun
b. : to run at a speed faster than that imparted by the normally driving element of a machine
when the machine stops … the bobbin tends to overrun — Albert Thompson & Sigfrid Bick
II. ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
1. : the act or an instance of overrunning
2.
a.
(1) : the copies printed by overrunning
(2) : a run in excess of the quantity of a product ordered by a customer
b. : the amount by which lumber actually sawed exceeds that estimated by log scale
c. : the volume increase of a product over the original volume that is accomplished by the incorporation of a worthless substance (as air whipped into a commercial ice cream mix, or water whipped into butter)
2 1/2 gallons overrun in 5 gallons of ice cream
3. : a cleared but unpaved area at the end of a runway offering extra landing roll to an airplane in an emergency