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overgrow

[oh-ver-groh, oh-ver-groh]
See more synonyms for overgrow on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), o·ver·grew, o·ver·grown, o·ver·grow·ing.
  1. to grow over; cover with a growth of something.
  2. to grow beyond, grow too large for, or outgrow.
  3. to outdo in growing; choke or supplant by a more exuberant growth.
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verb (used without object), o·ver·grew, o·ver·grown, o·ver·grow·ing.
  1. to grow to excess; grow too large: When the vegetable overgrows, it tends to be woody.
  2. to become grown over, as with weeds: An untended garden will quickly overgrow.
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Origin of overgrow

First recorded in 1300–50, overgrow is from the Middle English word overgrowen. See over-, grow
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for overgrow

inundate, deluge, overwhelm, choke, ravage, beset, overflow, invade, spill, permeate, surge, overstep, swarm, surpass, overspread, overshoot, overgrow

Examples from the Web for overgrow

Historical Examples of overgrow

  • It is to be feared that this new Madrid will overgrow all that is left of the old city.

    Things seen in Spain

    C. Gasquoine Hartley

  • The trees do not come in bearing early, and are not suitable for dwarfing as they overgrow the quince stock.

  • Genius grafted on womanhood is like to overgrow it and break its stem.

  • They overgrow the dwarf stocks very strongly and thus do not have a very firm hold on the ground.

  • How had this subterranean vegetation contrived to pierce and overgrow the summit of the country?

British Dictionary definitions for overgrow

overgrow

verb -grows, -growing, -grew or -grown
  1. (tr) to grow over or across (an area, path, lawn, etc)
  2. (tr) to choke or supplant by a stronger growth
  3. (tr) to grow too large for
  4. (intr) to grow beyond normal size
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Derived Formsovergrowth, noun
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