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overhand

American  
[oh-ver-hand] / ˈoʊ vərˌhænd /

adjective

  1. thrown or performed with the hand raised over the shoulder; overarm.

    overhand stroke.

  2. with the hand and part or all of the arm raised above the shoulder.

    to pitch overhand.

  3. (in sewing and embroidery) with close, shallow stitches over two edges.


adverb

  1. with the hand over the object.

    to grasp one's fork overhand.

noun

  1. an overhand stroke, throw, or delivery.

verb (used with object)

  • overhands,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • overhanded,
    past participle,  past
  • overhanding
    present participle
  1. to sew overhand.

overhand British  
/ ˈəʊvəˌhænd /

adjective

  1. thrown or performed with the hand raised above the shoulder

  2. sewn with thread passing over two edges in one direction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. with the hand above the shoulder; overarm

  2. with shallow stitches passing over two edges

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to sew (two edges) overhand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of overhand

First recorded in 1860–65; over- + hand


Vocabulary lists containing overhand

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Lesch’s delivery had one major flaw: He threw directly overhand, as opposed to three-quarters or even sidearm, which can increase velocity but also places additional strain on the shoulder and elbow.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

Fury had to be watchful at times as Makhmudov did land occasional overhand rights, but the Russian was largely one-dimensional as Fury took a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

Moments later, an overhand counter-right from Parker landed on the top of Bakole's head and scrambled his senses.

From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2025

When Ngannou’s overhand left sent Fury crashing to the canvas for the seventh time as a professional in October, he rose to his feet, regrouped and did the job.

From BBC ● May 16, 2024

She threw the axe, overhand, as hard and straight as she could: not hard, not straight, but with an awesome fury.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

"How shall I pass her up?" says I. Just then she made a spring for that rope ladder of ours and overhands up like a trapeze star.

From Shorty McCabe by F. Vaux (Francis Vaux) Wilson

She climbed Popocatepetl, the mysterious "Sleeping Woman" that overhands the ancient town, and looked into its crater.

From Love Eternal by Henry Rider Haggard

He threw TD passes underhanded, overhanded and shoveled one on Kansas City's three possessions in the first half.

From Fox News ● Oct. 10, 2021

Mahomes tossed TD passes underhanded, overhanded and shoveled one on Kansas City’s three possessions in the first half.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021

“This is something Errolson calls the ‘escape zip,’ ” Gibson said, indicating an unusual zipper along the jacket’s shoulder, and demonstrating how it could be used to enact an instantaneous, overhanded dejacketing.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 9, 2019

It has generally been accepted that pitching a baseball overhanded is unnatural, that the human arm is much better suited to the underhanded softball throw or the looping cricket delivery.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2016

Stitch where the facings cross, open the seam and crease; or, after trimming, a seam may be turned back at the end of each piece and the folded edges overhanded together.

From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin

The cat leaped on to an overhanding rock, and as the hollow, raucous howl went ringing back and forth again the dogs turned questioningly, their eyes straining to seek the reality of the call.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

If the hemming and overhanding is not completed during the class hour, they may be assigned as home work.

From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools by Ontario. Ministry of Education

Lace made up of units can be easily joined by overhanding these units together. b.

From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin

Fill with the powdered emery and fasten the gathering thread by overhanding over the top.

From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin

Hem or stitch along the edge, overhanding the ends of the band.

From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin

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