▪ I. ˈoverˌtrow, n.
[See next.]
† 1. Over-trust, over-confidence. (OE.)
| a 941 Laws æthelstan vi. c. 8. §7 (Schmid) Menn ne reccean, hu heora yrfe fare, for þam ofertruan on þam friðe. |
† 2. Distrust, suspicion. (ME.)
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 1402 He ne durst openly for ouertrowe of gile. |
3. (See quot.) nonce-use. [over- 29.]
| 1891 Atkinson Moorland Par. 69 What I would willingly call overtrow or believing overmuch, not superstition. |
▪ II. † ˌoverˈtrow, v.1 Obs.
[over- ? 4, 27.]
1. trans. To mistrust, distrust.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 21 Leofe broðre ne ouertrowiȝe cristes milce..al swa monimon seið and weneð, Hu mei ic efre ibete. |
2. intr. To trust overmuch, be too confident.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 169 Thow arte a fole dotdrat [= dottard] and ouer-trowes. |
Hence † ˌoverˈtrowing vbl. n., over-confidence; ppl. a., over-confident; † ˈoverˈtrowship, † ˈoverˈtrowth, over-confidence.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 187 Who-so suche losengeris belewyth othyr trowyth, they shal falle in Pride and ouertrouth. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Irel. lix. 142 Euery wysman vnderstond hym by Roboam, Salomones sone, how mych harme falleth of pryde & ouertrowshype. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode ii. v. (1869), Serteyn,..the disturblaunce cometh of thin ouertrowinge [oultrecuidance]. |
▪ III. † overˈtrow, v.2 Obs.
[app. an erroneous expansion of ortrow v., due to the frequent reduction of original over- to o'er-, ore-, or-.]
trans. (with obj. cl.). To suspect; to believe, suppose.
| c 1305 St. Kenelm 292 in E.E.P. (1862) 55 Þe contrai men..þat vnder-ȝete þat cas Ouertrowede [c 1290 Laud MS. ortreweden] wel whar hit lay. 1382 Wyclif 1 Kings xxii. 32 Thei ouertroweden [1388 suposiden, Vulg. suspicati sunt] that he hadde ben kyng of Irael. |
Hence † overˈtrowable a., to be suspected, suspect; † overˈtrowing ppl. a., suspecting.
| [1382 Wyclif Ecclus. xxv. 9 Nyne vnouertrowable thingus [Vulg. novem insuspicabilia] of the herte I magnefiede.] 1388 ― 1 Cor. iv. 4, Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf [Vulg. nihil..mihi conscius sum]. |