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overdrive

[ verb oh-ver-drahyv; noun oh-ver-drahyv ]
/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈdraɪv; noun ˈoʊ vərˌdraɪv /
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verb (used with object), o·ver·drove, o·ver·driv·en, o·ver·driv·ing.
to push or carry to excess; overwork.
to drive too hard.
noun
Machinery, Automotive. a device containing a gear set at such ratio and arrangement as to provide a drive shaft speed greater than the engine crankshaft speed.
Informal. an intense state of activity or productivity: The political campaign has shifted into overdrive.
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Origin of overdrive

before 950; Middle English overdriven to cover over, overpower; Old English oferdrīfan to drive away, overthrow. See over-, drive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use overdrive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overdrive

overdrive

noun (ˈəʊvəˌdraɪv)
a very high gear in a motor vehicle used at high speeds to reduce wear and save fuel
in overdrive in a state of intense activity
into overdrive into a state of intense activity
verb (ˌəʊvəˈdraɪv) -drives, -driving, -drove or -driven
(tr) to drive too hard or too far; overwork or overuse
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
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