overtake, v.
(ˌəʊvəˈteɪk)
[Early ME. f. over- 14 + take v., q.v. for Forms.
Overtake is the earliest exemplified of a small group of synonymous vbs., including overnim, overhent, overget, overcatch, in all of which the second element means take or catch; the original application being apparently to the running down and catching of a fugitive or beast of chase: cf. the synonymous ‘catch up’. The sense of over- is not so clear. A priori we might explain it as ‘to take by over-running, or by getting over the intervening space’, and compare overreach = reach over or across a space. But it is doubtful whether this was the original notion. Beside these -take verbs, a fig. sense of overtake (viz. 4 below) was expressed before 1000 by overgang and overgo; but in these over- can be explained in the sense ‘down upon’ (over- 7), so that their orig. sense would be ‘descend’ or ‘fall upon’. The sense of ‘overtake’ was expressed later also by overhie, overrun, overhale, overhaul; but these prob. imitated overgo or overtake. In Early ME. overtake and overgo had the parallel forms oftake, ofgo, which seem to have been the strictly southern equivalents (oftake being actually exemplified earlier than overtake): the relation between of- and over-here, as well as in ofthink, overthink, has not been clearly determined.]
1. a. trans. To come up with (a person or thing going or running in front of one and in the same direction); to come up to in pursuit; to ‘catch up’. Now esp. of a motorist: to drive a vehicle past (another vehicle travelling in the same direction). Also absol., and with the vehicle as subj.
† well overtaken, a traveller's greeting to one he has overtaken: cf. well met. Obs.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 244 Þe veond..wearð ibunden [hete]ueste mid te holie monnes beoden, þet of-token [MS. T. ouer⁓token] him ase heo clumben upward touward te heouene. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1756, vij. niȝt forð-ȝeden..Or laban iacob ouer-toc. Ibid. 2313 Iosep haueð hem after sent. Ðis sonde hem ouertakeð raðe. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 64 He ouer [v.r. of] tok hym at an hauene & sloȝ hym ryȝt þere. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 127 Bot, I trow, ful tyd, ouer-tan þat he were. 13.. Cursor M. 3925 (Cott.) Laban it mist, ouertok and soght. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xliii. (Cecile) 76 In a rew, callit ‘via apia’, Syndry poure men þu sal ourta. c 1386 Chaucer Friar's T. 86 (Harl. MS.) Sir, quod þis sompnour, heyl and wel ouertake. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxii. 100 Þai will owertake wylde bestes and sla þam. 1415 Sir T. Grey in 43rd Deputy Kpr.'s Rep. 584 Þer cum Luce and awrtoke me and bade gode morow And said I was wil awrtaken. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 1 God blesse you my friend, and well ouertaken. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. ii. 5 Faire sir, you are well ore-tane. 1601 Sir W. Cornwallis Ess. ii. li. (1631) 327 They have the start that are borne great, but hee that overtakes hath the honour. 1653 Walton Angler i, You are wel overtaken Sir; a good morning to you; I have stretch'd my legs up Totnam Hil to overtake you. 1738 Wesley Wks. (1872) I. 89 We were overtook by an elderly gentleman. a 1771 Gray Dante 39 His helpless offspring soon O'erta'en beheld. 1888 A. S. Swan Doris Cheyne viii. 134 She would walk along the Keswick Road..until the coach should overtake her. 1936 J. Prioleau Motorist's Compan. xxix. 418 The commoner examples of dangerous driving are..cutting-in and overtaking another car travelling at any but an obviously lower speed [etc.]. 1938 M. Campbell Key to Motoring ix. 107 One of the greatest dangers of fog⁓driving lies in overtaking or in passing stationary vehicles. 1959 [see cheesed a.] 1959 E. H. Clements High Tension vi. 100 ‘The journey back was worth it... West overtook me.’.. ‘Where did he overtake you?’ ‘Rannoch.’ 1973 R. Hill Ruling Passion ii. iv. 114 A slow lorry suddenly appeared ahead... He swung out sharply to overtake. 1976 Southern Even. Echo (Southampton) 12 Nov. 5/2 Marshall was riding a motorcycle on dual carriageway..when a car in front pulled out to overtake. |
b. fig. To come up with in any course of action; esp. to get through or accomplish (a task) when pressed for time or hindered by other business, etc.; to work off within the time. In quots. c 1330, 1375 with inf.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 133 [Þei] Ouertok it to ȝeme, & saued þat cite. 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 190 Gif he mycht nocht weill our-ta To met thame at the first. 1402 Hoccleve Let. of Cupid 146 Reson yt [the tongue] seweth so slowly and softe, that it him neuer ouer-take may. 1575–85 Abp. Sandys Serm. (1841) 292, I must here make an end, for the time hath overtaken me. 1602 W. Fulbecke Pandectes Ded. 1 To ouer-take euerie thing which they vndertake. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process (ed. 2) 237 Staitened in point of Time, so that they could not overtake the whole Trials. 1856 Maxwell Let. in Life ix. (1882) 255, I have two or three stiff bits of work to get through this term here, and I hope to overtake them. 1893 Stevenson Catriona ii. 16 It's a job you could doubtless overtake with the other. |
† c. To take in hand, proceed to deal with, ‘tackle’.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 247 This Objection must be overtaken after this maner. 1585 Abp. Sandys Serm. Ep. to Rdr., To meet with and overtake all practices and inconveniences. |
† 2. a. To get at, reach, get hold of; to reach with a blow. Obs.
| c 1300 Havelok 1816 The fifte that he ouertok, Gaf he a ful sor dint ok. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 381 He all till-hewyt that he our-tuk. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 205 To tak ony man of that contree..that he may ourta. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 938 To hitte or ouertake, attaindre. 1673 Wedderburn's Voc. 28 (Jam.) Percussit me pugno, he overtook me with his steecked nieff. 1680 Life Edw. II in Harl. Misc. I. 87 The bruit of this novelty, like a Welch hubbub, had quickly overtaken the willing ears of the displeased Commons. |
† b. intr. To get as far as, reach. Obs. rare.
| a 1225 Juliana 56 Hit as hit turnde ne ouer teoc nowðer abuuen ne bineoðen to þer eorðe. |
† c. absol. or intr. Of fire: To ‘catch’, take hold. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 6759 (Cott.) If fire be kyndeld and ouer⁓tak Thoru feld, or corn, or mou, or stak. |
† 3. To ‘take’, ‘catch’, surprise, or detect in a fault or offence; to convict. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8644 (Cott.) Parfai! þou lighes, wik womman, And þar-wit sal þou be ouer-tan. Ibid. 19416 (Edin.) In worde moȝt tai him neuir ouirtac. 1375 Barbour Bruce xix. 55 Thir thre planly, War with ane assiss thar ourtane. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (E.E.T.S.) 1232 If sche ȝit be ouer-tayn,..Sche salbe cursid for þat same þing. 1551–2 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 123 Thaim..at..beis ourtane and convict. |
4. Of some adverse agency or influence, as a storm, night, disease, death, misfortune, punishment (rarely, as in quot. c 1630, of something good or favourable): To come upon unexpectedly, suddenly, or violently; to seize, catch, surprise, involve.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 4721 (Fairf.) Qualme has bestes alle ouertane [other MSS. ouergan]. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 51 The stomak als of aier is ouertake. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxiii. 14 And the deith ourtak the in trespas. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) ii. 192 Nycht had thame ourtane. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. x. 11 Yon ribaudred Nagge of Egypt, (Whom Leprosie o're-take). 1611 Bible 1 Thess. v. 4 That that day should ouertake you as a thiefe. c 1630 Milton Time 13 And Joy shall overtake us as a flood. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 58 So unfortunate as to be overtaken by a thunder storm. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 222 The magnitude of the disaster which had overtaken him. |
† 5. To apprehend mentally; to comprehend, understand. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 575 (Cott.) Godd..Wit nankyn creature mai be vnderfanged ne ouertan, And he ouertakes þam ilkan. Ibid. 10787 Had he ani-wais ouertaine A child be born of a maiden. |
† 6. To take up or occupy the whole of (a space); to extend over, cover. Sc. Obs.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 125 Men that mekill host mycht se Our-tak the landis so largely. Ibid. xii. 439 That folk our-tuk ane mekill feld On breid. |
7. To overcome the will, senses, or feelings of; to win over, captivate, ensnare, ‘take’; to over-power with excess of emotion. Obs. or dial.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 24824 (Fairf.) Þa þat he had na giftis tille Wiþ hotis faire he ouer-toke þaire wil. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. xxxvi. 192 A fole in flesly thyngis is ouer-taken. 1535 Coverdale Gal. vi. 1 Yf eny man be ouertaken of a faute. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. (1590) 107 If her beauties haue so ouertaken you, it becomes a true Loue to haue your harte more set vpon her good then your owne. 1620 J. Pyper tr. Hist. Astrea i. x. 335 Your Neece is so ouertaken with Celadon, as I know not if Galathee be more. 1666 Pepys Diary 6 June, We were all so overtaken with this good news, that the Duke ran with it to the King. 1822 Galt Provost xxxvi, At first I was confounded and overtaken, and could not speak. |
† 8. To overcome the judgement of; to deceive, ‘take in’; in pa. pple. deceived, mistaken, in error.
| 1581 W. Charke in Confer. iv. (1584) A a iv, Here you are manifestly ouertaken: for they are worde for worde in the 9. Chapter. 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. vii. iv. (1886) 107 The preestes were so cunning as they also overtooke almost all the godlie and learned men. 1623 Bingham Xenophon 40 The other sought to circumuent him, as being easie to be ouertaken. 1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero's De Finibus iv. 261 'Tis certain, you were strangely overtaken, in supposing that [etc.]. |
9. To overcome or overpower with drink, intoxicate, make drunk. (Chiefly in pass.) Now dial.
| 1587 Harrison England ii. vi. (1877) i. 152 [These] are soonest overtaken when they come to such bankets. 1602 Shakes. Ham. ii. i. 58 There was he gaming, there o'retooke in's Rouse. 1659 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 298 They would..tiple and smoake till they were overtaken with the creature. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 450 ¶6, I do not remember I was ever overtaken in Drink. 1770 Foote Lame Lover iii. Wks. 1799 II. 91 To be sure the knight is overtaken a little; very near drunk. 1869 Kennedy Evenings Duffrey 282 (E.D.D.) Better luck, sir, next time you let yourself be overtaken. |
10. Bridge. intr. To take with a higher card a trick already taken by one's partner. Also trans., to play a higher card than (the card played by one's partner).
| 1904 J. B. Elwell Advanced Bridge 164 With no re⁓entry in a hand, overtaking is often the only means of making a suit. 1939 N. de V. Hart Bridge Players' Bedside Bk. xviii. 73 Declarer ducked in dummy, but Herr von Bludhorn overtook. Ibid. xxxviii. 118 Declarer played out the King, Knave, and Ten of Trumps, overtaking the Ten with dummy's Queen. 1959 Reese & Dormer Bridge Players' Dict. 161 South..leads the jack of spades and, depending on which suit West unguards, overtakes or not with dummy's queen of spades. 1974 Country Life 17 Jan. 98/3 East should have overtaken the Spade King and switched to Diamonds. |
Hence overˈtaking vbl. n. and ppl. a.; also overˈtakable a., that can be overtaken; overˈtaker, one who or that which overtakes.
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Alcance, ouertaking, obteining, pursuing, reaching. 1599 Minsheu Sp. Dict., Alcan{cced}ador..an ouertaker. 1798 Coleridge Anc. Mar. i. xi, He struck with his o'ertaking wings. 1838 Chalmers Wks. XII. 213 One assigned and overtakeable district. 1880 R. G. Marsden Treat. Law Collisions at Sea vi. 187 Article 20 is express as to the duty of an overtaking sailing-ship to keep out of the way. 1885 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton Christ. Kirkland II. viii. 259 He is looked on as a fossilized kind of Conservative by his successors and overtakers. 1897 W. E. Norris Clarissa Furiosa xxxvii. 328 No more..than a spent fox can escape the overtaking hounds. 1928 R. Townsend Motoring made Easy v. 74 No attempt should be made at overtaking on a curve in the road or at a corner. 1960 [see cutting vbl. n. 9 c]. 1961 F. H. Burgess Dict. Sailing 155 Overtaking light, a fixed white light, screened so as to be visible 12 points, i.e. from right astern to 2 points abaft the beam each side, and from two miles away; carried by all ships under way. 1966 [see fast lane s.v. fast a. 11]. 1970 Motoring Which? July 116/1 Five mirrors specifically designed for door-mounting (often called ‘overtaking mirrors’). 1975 J. Cleary Safe House ii. 100 He saw the beam of the overtaking vehicle's headlamps. |