overdrive

[ verb oh-ver-drahyv; noun oh-ver-drahyv ]
/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈdraɪv; noun ˈoʊ vərˌdraɪv /

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.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
body of land completely surrounded by water
group of cultivated fruit trees
long mournful cry
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of overdrive

before 950; Middle English overdriven to cover over, overpower; Old English oferdrīfan to drive away, overthrow. See over-, drive

Words nearby overdrive

overdrafting, overdraught, overdraw, overdrawer, overdress, overdrive, overdub, overdue, overdye, overeager, overeat
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for overdrive

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