overbear

  • 1Overbear — O ver*bear , v. t. 1. To bear down or carry down, as by excess of weight, power, force, etc.; to overcome; to suppress. [1913 Webster] The point of reputation, when the news first came of the battle lost, did overbear the reason of war. Bacon.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2Overbear — O ver*bear , v. i. To bear fruit or offspring to excess; to be too prolific. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3overbear — index beat (defeat), browbeat, repress, subdue, subjugate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 4overbear — (v.) late 14c., to carry over, from OVER (Cf. over) + BEAR (Cf. bear) (v.). Meaning to bear down by weight of physical force is from 1535 (in Coverdale), originally nautical, of an overwhelming wind; figurative sense of to overcome and repress by …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5overbear — [ō΄vər ber′] vt. overbore, overborne, overbearing 1. to press or bear down by weight or physical power 2. to dominate, domineer over, overrule, or subdue vi. to be too fruitful; bear to excess …

    English World dictionary

  • 6overbear — overbearer, n. /oh veuhr bair /, v., overbore, overborne, overbearing. v.t. 1. to bear over or down by weight or force: With his superior strength he easily overbore his opponent in the fight. 2. to overcome or overwhelm: A spirited defense had… …

    Universalium

  • 7overbear — transitive verb (overbore; overborne; also overborn; bearing) Date: 1535 1. to bring down by superior weight or force ; overwhelm 2. a. to domineer over b. to surpass in importance or cogency ; outweigh …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 8overbear — verb a) To crush or press down on with physical force. b) To prevail over, as if by superior weight or force; dominate …

    Wiktionary

  • 9overbear — o|ver|bear [ˌəuvəˈbeə US ˌouvərˈber] v past tense overbore [ ˈbo: US ˈbo:r] past participle overborne [ ˈbo:n US ˈbo:rn] [T usually passive] to defeat someone or something ▪ She is independent minded enough not to be easily overborne by her… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10overbear — v. prevail over, overcome with weight or force; domineer, subdue; outweigh, have greater importance or bearing,o·ver bear || ‚əʊvÉ™(r) bÉœrɪŋ / bɜə …

    English contemporary dictionary