overcome

English Online Dictionary. What means overcome‎? What does overcome mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English overcomen, from Old English ofercuman (“to overcome, subdue, compel, conquer, obtain, attain, reach, overtake”), corresponding to over- +‎ come. Cognate with Dutch overkomen (“to overcome”), German überkommen (“to overcome”), Danish overkomme (“to overcome”), Swedish överkomma (“to overcome”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈkʌm/

Verb

overcome (third-person singular simple present overcomes, present participle overcoming, simple past overcame, past participle overcome)

1. (transitive) To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
2. (intransitive) To prevail.
3. (transitive) To recover from (a difficulty), to get over
4. (transitive) To win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
5. To come or pass over; to spread over.
6. (obsolete) To overflow; to surcharge.

Translations

Noun

overcome (plural overcomes)

1. (Scotland) The burden or recurring theme in a song.
2. (Scotland) A surplus.

References

• “overcome”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “overcome”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• come over, come-over, comeover