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overburden

[verb oh-ver-bur-dn; noun oh-ver-bur-dn]
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verb (used with object)

to load with too great a burden; overload: He was overburdened with cares.

noun

an excessive burden.
Also called burden, capping. Mining. waste earth and rock covering a mineral deposit.

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RELATED WORDS

overwhelm, encumber, oppress, exhaust

Nearby words

  1. overbought,
  2. overbrake,
  3. overbreak,
  4. overbudget,
  5. overbuild,
  6. overburdened,
  7. overburdensome,
  8. overbuy,
  9. overcall,
  10. overcame

Origin of overburden

First recorded in 1570–80; over- + burden1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for overburden

British Dictionary definitions for overburden

overburden

verb (ˌəʊvəˈbɜːdən)

(tr) to load with excessive weight, work, etc

noun (ˈəʊvəˌbɜːdən)

an excessive burden or load
geology the sedimentary rock material that covers coal seams, mineral veins, etc
Derived Formsoverburdensome, adjective
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
Word Origin and History for overburden

overburden

v.

also over-burden, "to put too much weight on," 1530s, from over- + burden (v.). Earliest uses are figurative. Related: Overburdened; overburdening.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper