oversee, v.
(əʊvəˈsiː)
Forms: see over and see.
[OE. oferséon = OS. oƀarsehan (MDu. oversien, Du. overzien), OHG. ubarsehan (MHG., Ger. übersehen), f. ofer- over- + see v. Cf. overlook.]
I. 1. trans. To look down upon, look at from (or as from) a higher position, overlook; to survey; to keep watch over; to watch. [over- 7.]
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. iv, Eala min Drihten, þu þe ealle ᵹesceafta ofersihst. a 1200 Moral Ode 75 Houene and horþe he ouer sich. a 1250 Owl & Night. 30 The niȝtingale hi i-seȝ, And hi bi-hold and over-seȝ. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 31 Such men..are duly watcht, and attentiuely ouer⁓seene. a 1628 F. Grevil Sidney xvi. (1652) 202 Even hee who oversaw the rest, might have his owne greatnesse overseen. 1796 Burke Let. Noble Ld. Wks. VIII. 49 As long as this awful structure shall oversee and guard the subjected land. |
2. To look over, look through, look into the various parts of; to inspect, examine; to peruse, esp. by way of revision for the printing-press. Obs. or arch. [over- 16.]
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 106 Perkyn lette þe plouȝ stonde, While þat he ouer-seȝe him-self ho þat best wrouhte. 1377 Ibid. B. x. 328 That þis worth soth, seke ȝe þat oft ouer-se þe bible. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly Gods 772 [He] prayed hym hertyly hit to ouerse. 1490 Caxton Eneydos Prol. 1, I wrote a leef or tweyne, whyche I ouersawe agayn to corecte it. 1528 in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. xiv. 249 [Committee] appoynted to pervse and oversee suche Bookes of Actes & ordynaunces as heretofore were given. 1588 Marprel. Epist. (Arb.) 4 John Cant. ouersawe euery proofe. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. ii. v. §14. 62 The Legate..fearing to be poisoned, appointed his Brother to over-see all food for his own eating. [1895 F. S. Ellis in Daily News 2 Nov. 6/5, I used the word ‘overseen’ in preference to ‘edited’,..because it indicates exactly all I had a right to claim.] |
† b. To examine mentally, consider. Obs.
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 111 So alle thing well ouerseen hit is better to the that thou retorne. |
3. To see to officially, as one holding a position over those who do the work; to supervise, superintend; to see after, look after, attend to the doing or working of. (Cf. overlook v. 6.)
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. 416 And aboue..alle Patriarkis is oon Pope forto ouerse and reule and amende the Governauncis of Patriarkis. 1485 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 320 To rule and oversee the crafte undre the Maire. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 22 §6 Any persone assigned to comptroll and oversee theym in their werking. 1596 H. Clapham Briefe Bible i. 67 Othoniel was chosen Iudge, who oversawe them for 40 yeares. 1611 Bible 1 Chron. ix. 29. 1665 Surv. Aff. Netherl. 25 The four Bishops..were unable to oversee effectually the 17 large Provinces of Belgium. 1735 Swift Ep. Corr. Wks. 1841 II. 745 Can I oversee my workmen and a school too? a 1864 N. Hawthorne Little Daffydowndilly Tales 1871 II. 155 He..is overseeing the carpenters. |
† b. With obj. clause (or obj. and compl.): To see, see to it (that something be done). Obs.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur xviii. xx, Hit wyl be your worshyp that ye ouer see that she be entered worshypfully. 1569 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxford 327 The Baillies..shall..oversee that every man shall kepe his stynt of beastes. 1697 View Penal Laws 202 Power to search all Oyls..and to oversee that the same be not mixed. |
c. absol. To superintend, act as overseer.
| a 1548 Hall Chron. Introd. 8 b, Being an euil sheperd or herdeman before time, dyd not plie, kepe and diligently ouerse. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. v. (1739) 13 The Bishop of Caerleon upon Uske, who is to oversee under God over us. 1798 W. Hutton Autobiog. 34 But I, who had no land near, no team to assist, or servants that could oversee, was obliged to hire all the work. |
4. To see against the intention or without the knowledge of the person seen; to catch sight of; to have a sight of. (Cf. overhear 3.)
| 1742 Fielding J. Andrews iii. ii, Fanny, not suspicious of being overseen by Adams, gave a loose to her passion. 1862 Wraxall Hugo's Misérables i. li. (1877) 24 A moment after he blew out his light, for..he fancied he might be overseen. |
† 5. To look at with the ‘evil eye’, bewitch: = overlook v. 7. Obs. rare.
| 1641 W. Hooke New Eng. Tears 7 When any are bewitched, it is a phrase of speech among many to say, they are over-seene, i.e. lookt upon with a malicious eye. |
II. 6. To fail or omit to see or notice (through inattention, or intentionally); to neglect, pass over, disregard; = overlook v. 2. Obs. exc. dial.
| a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. l. (Napier) 270 Ðencan þa nu..þæt hiᵹ god oferseoð. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxiii. 77 And gar me mony falt ouerse, That now is brayd befoir myn E. 1535 Coverdale Bible Prol., Thynke y{supt}..it is happlye ouer⁓sene of y⊇ interpreters. 1613 Jackson Creed ii. i. §2. 239 Many things he cannot see, and many things he may over⁓see. 1700 Congreve Way of World ii. iii, 'Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the gross advances made him by my wife. 1774 Pennant Tour Scot. in 1772, 200 Adding numbers of remarks over-seen by him. |
7. refl. To fail to perceive what is befitting or right for one to do, or what is the truth or fact of a matter; to forget oneself, act unbecomingly; to fall into error, make a mistake, err, blunder, act imprudently. Also intr. (quots. 1615, 1639: cf. overseen 1.) Obs. exc. dial.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 378, I, glotoun..gylti me ȝelde, For I haue..ouer-seye me at my sopere, and some tyme at nones. 1529 More Dyaloge iv. Wks. 255/1 Luther..dothe so madly ouersee himselfe, that he discloseth vnware certayne folies of him selfe. 1615 Jackson Creed iv. iii. v. §2 Who notwithstanding mightily oversee in prognosticating of a joyful harvest by this gladsome or forward spring. 1639 Mayne City Match iv. iii, Aur. Sir, please you, partake Of a slight banquet?..Plot..Be sure you do not oversee. a 1677 Barrow Serm. (1810) II. 564 Immoderate selfishness so blindeth us, that we oversee and forget ourselves. |
III. 8. nonce-use. To see too strongly or vividly. [over- 27.]
| a 1600 Hooker Serm. Habak. ii. 4 Wks. 1888 III. 607 It then maketh them cease to be proud, when it causeth them to see their error in overseeing the thing they were proud of. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. iii. 47 We had so grovelled in darkness that we oversaw the light. |
Hence overˈseeing vbl. n. and ppl. a. (in various senses: see above).
| 1513 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 395 That no honie be brought to town but it be good and merchantable, by overseinge of such as shalbe..chossen by the Maior. 1651 Jer. Taylor Clerus Dom. 48 In the overseeing providence of thy rich mercies. 1799 Wordsw. ‘Three years she grew’ ii, The girl..Shall feel an overseeing power To kindle or restrain. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 68, I have jobs of overseeing now and then. |