overtake
/oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.30 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To pass a slower moving object or entity (on the side closest to oncoming traffic).
verb
To take by surprise; surprise and overcome; carry away.
noun
An act of overtaking; an overtaking maneuver.
Example Sentences
- "The racehorse overtook the lead pack on the last turn."
- "The car was so slow we were overtaken by a bus."
- ""I won't over-walk myself," he said, cheerfully. "If the coach doesn't overtake me on the road, I can wait for it where I stop to breakfast. Dry your eyes, my dear; and give me a kiss.""
- "The station is planned to include platform loops enabling fast trains to overtake slower ones and is expected to be served by at least four trains per hour towards London."
- "Grocery sales in the north have overtaken those in the south."
- "Our plans were overtaken by events."
Etymology
From Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/
- British English: /əʊ̯vəːˈteɪ̯k/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
Not to be confused with take over
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
undertake[curbside]]>