overhang

American  

[oh-ver-hang, oh-ver-hang] / ˌoʊ vərˈhæŋ, ˈoʊ vərˌhæŋ /

verb (used with object)

overhung, overhanging

1. to hang or be suspended over.

   A great chandelier overhung the ballroom.

2. to extend, project, or jut over.

   A wide balcony overhangs the garden.

3. to impend over or threaten, as danger or evil; loom over.

   The threat of war overhung Europe.

4. to spread throughout; permeate; pervade.

   the melancholy that overhung the proceedings.

5. Informal. to hover over, as a threat or menace.

   Unemployment continues to overhang the economic recovery.

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verb (used without object)

overhung, overhanging

1. to hang over; project or jut out over something below.

   How far does the balcony overhang?

noun

1. something that extends or juts out over; projection.

2. the extent of projection, as of the bow of a ship.

3. Informal. an excess or surplus.

   an overhang of office space in midtown.

4. a threat or menace.

   to face the overhang of foreign reprisals.

5. Architecture. a projecting upper part of a building, as a roof or balcony.

overhang British  

verb

1. to project or extend beyond (a surface, building, etc)

2. (tr) to hang or be suspended over

3. (tr) to menace, threaten, or dominate

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noun

1. a formation, object, part of a structure, etc, that extends beyond or hangs over something, such as an outcrop of rock overhanging a mountain face

2. the amount or extent of projection

3. aeronautics

   1. half the difference in span of the main supporting surfaces of a biplane or other multiplane

   2. the distance from the outer supporting strut of a wing to the wing tip

4. finance the shares, collectively, that the underwriters have to buy when a new issue has not been fully taken up by the market

Etymology

Origin of overhang

First recorded in 1590–1600; over- + hang

Example Sentences

Their staple diet are deer, and they hunt by stealth often pouncing from trees or overhanging rocks.

From Barron's

But the canal authorities don’t allow overhanging cargo that could hit infrastructure such as light poles at the waterway’s locks.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We believe the fear of the unknown has hampered returns and will continue to be an overhang unless legislative factors change,” Zimmerman wrote.

From Barron's

A “material overhang” for Dominion’s and Eversource’s shares is likely to continue in the near term until the companies’ projects reach their commercial operation dates, which are expected by the end of 2026, they added.

From MarketWatch

But the deals have helped establish certainty regarding tariffs and pricing, reducing a key overhang for investors.

From MarketWatch