▪ I. overtype, n. Computing.
Brit. /ˈəʊvətʌɪp/, U.S. /ˈoʊvərˌtaɪp/
Forms: also with capital initial.
[‹ overtype v.]
A mode of operation on a word processor, word-processing program, or other text editor in which a keyed character replaces the character after the cursor rather than being inserted before it; also overtype mode. Cf. insert n.
| 1982 Computerworld 8 Feb. 121/4 Other standard features include..insert, delete, overtype,..and other commands. 1990 Local Area Network Mag. (Nexis) Nov. 143 The LifeLine mail editor is sufficient, with insert and overtype modes,..and the ability to import ASCII text files. 1997 Microsoft Mag. Winter 36/1 The typing mode does not switch from insert to overtype or vice versa. 2002 San Francisco Chron. (Nexis) 16 Sept. e2, I can turn off Overtype simply by hitting the Insert key again. |
▪ II. overtype, a. Electr.
(ˈəʊvətaɪp)
[over- 1.]
Said of a bi-polar dynamo in which the armature is situated above the yoke of the field-magnets.
| 1892 S. P. Thompson Dynamo-Electric Mach. 487 The latest and best construction of 2-pole machine is..of the ‘over’ type with the armature and shaft at the summit of the field-magnet. 1894 S. R. Bottone Elect. Instr. 206 Overtype drum armature dynamo. |
▪ III. overtype, v.
Brit. /ˌəʊvəˈtʌɪp/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈtaɪp/
[‹ over- prefix + type v.]
trans. To type over (existing text); to type (new text) in place of existing text. Freq. Computing: to replace (existing text) by entering new text in overtype mode (see overtype n.). Also intr.
| 1969 Times 2 Oct. 2/2 (advt.) As she types it is recorded on the re-usable magnetic card. If she makes a mistake she back-spaces, overtypes the error and the card is automatically corrected. 1972 Math. of Computation 26 301 Mistakes could be erased by backspacing and overtyping. 1982 Computerworld 9 Aug. 41/3 The programmer reportedly can..modify program specifics by overtyping the hexadecimal or character displays. 1987P. Ferris in Coll. Lett. Dylan Thomas 173 Thomas typed ‘Him’, then overtyped a lower-case ‘h’. 2003 Nation (Thailand) (Nexis) 3 Aug. If OVR is off, then you will be in insert (INS) mode, meaning that whatever you type with be inserted into your document without overtyping anything. |