overˈgang, v. Now Sc. and north. dial.
[OE. ofergangan = OHG. ubargangan, Goth. ufargaggan: see over- in various senses.]
1. trans. To tread over, trample upon, conquer, overpower, get the better of. [over- 1, 21.]
| a 1000 Riddles xli. 10 (Gr.) Mec..slæp ofergongeð. a 1000 Cædmon's Exod. 561 (Gr.) Þæt ᵹe feonda ᵹehwone forð ofergangað. c 1200 Ormin 10228 To werenn hemm wiþþ wiþerrþeod Þatt wollde hemm oferrganngenn. a 1300 Cursor M. 5505 (Cott.) Ioseph kin ouer-ganges all, Þat to our eldres was a thrall. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 141 Allace! ȝour grace hes done greit wrang, To suffer tyrannis in sic sort, Daylie ȝour liegis till ouergang. 1715 Pennecuik Many's Truth's Trav. in Poems 94 For fear that Truth should clean ou'rgang them. 1795 Burns Old Song, ‘O ay my wife’, If ye gie a woman a' her will, Guid faith, she'll soon o'ergang ye. |
† 2. To go over, cross, overstep; to transgress; = overgo v. 2, 2 b. (OE. and ME.) [over- 12.]
| a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xx. 71 Heora æniᵹ oðres ne dorste mearce ofergangan. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Spelm.) xvii. 31 Ic ofer⁓gange weall. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 444 in O.E. Misc. 129 Þanne sal þi child Þi forbod ouer-gangin. |
3. To go over; to overrun, overspread. [over- 9.]
| a 1300 Cursor M. 22132 (Cott.) Ouer all þar crist was wont to ga, [Anticrist] þaim sal ouer-gang alsua. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xvi. 86, I thinke the holkis ouergangis ȝour ene. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. i. 122 Quha..lattis gude ground..ouirgang w{supt} weidis. 1766 Pitcairn Assembly 13 (E.D.D.) That place is all overgrown with briers and thorns, and they'll soon o'ergang Scotland too. 1828 Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Ower-gang, to over-run. |
4. To go beyond, exceed. [over- 13.]
| 1737 Ramsay Prov. (1750) 95 The pains o'ergangs the profit. 1822 Galt Provost xxxv, The outlay I thought as likely to o'ergang the profit. |
Hence † overˈganger, (a) one who overcomes, a conqueror; (b) an overseer, superintendent (Sc.).
| c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. 29 By Jacob in Haly Writt es vndirstande ane ouerganger of synnes. Ibid. 30 Ouer⁓ganger and ouercommere of all synnes. |