overgrowth

[ oh-ver-grohth ]

/ ˈoʊ vərˌgroʊθ /

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noun

a growth overspreading or covering something.

excessive growth: to prune a young tree so as to prevent overgrowth.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of overgrowth

First recorded in 1595–1605; over- + growth

Words nearby overgrowth

overgild, overglaze, overgraze, overground, overgrow, overgrowth, overhand, overhand knot, overhang, overharvest, overhasty

How to use overgrowth in a sentence

One theory is that PTSD develops as a result of an overgrowth of synaptic connections in the amygdala, the part of the brain that acquires and stores fear memories, after intense or repeated exposure to a frightening stimulus.
The New Science of Forgetting|Corinne Purtill|April 28, 2022|Time
The specific carbohydrate diet, which is a grain-free elimination diet, is based on the idea that consuming certain complex carbs feeds unhealthy bacteria, causing an overgrowth of these “bad” bacteria in the small intestine.
How Your Diet Can Help Reduce IBD Symptoms|Michael O. Schroeder|March 16, 2022|Time
This overgrowth of algae can make water unsafe plants and animals.
Scientists Say: Pollution|Maria Temming|February 14, 2022|Science News For Students
Although it generally matched the size of a human heart, the team wanted to prevent the pig organ from overgrowth inside Bennett’s chest once it was transplanted—something they previously noticed happened in baboons.
After First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant, Scientists Aim to Make It Routine|Shelly Fan|January 25, 2022|Singularity Hub

The full recovery of a species means it’s playing its natural role in the ecosystem — be it eating plants, and preventing overgrowth, or spreading seeds — across its native range.
What “extinction” really means — and what it leaves out|Benji Jones|September 30, 2021|Vox
The modest violet may exhale its fragrance through an overgrowth of noxious weeds—and humanity bears out the simile.
Bucholz and the Detectives|Allan Pinkerton
Just what causes this overgrowth of connective tissue is not clear.
Psychotherapy|James J. Walsh
It is the overgrowth of these qualities, to the detriment of the artistic element, that mars her later works.
The Age of Tennyson|Hugh Walker
Lightning on peaks which were like polished jet—bare rock above, the lush overgrowth of jungle below.
Voodoo Planet|Andre Norton
The nucleus of Biarritz is old, but that is out of sight in the modern overgrowth; Biarritz, as it is, is of this half century.
A Midsummer Drive Through The Pyrenees|Edwin Asa Dix