overwind

American

[oh-ver-wahynd] / ˌoʊ vərˈwaɪnd /

verb (used with object)

overwound, overwinding

to wind beyond the proper limit; wind too far.

He must have overwound his watch.

overwind British

/ ˌəʊvəˈwaɪnd /

verb

(tr) to wind (a watch) beyond the proper limit

"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

Etymology

Origin of overwind

First recorded in 1675–85; over- + wind ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It will overwind and form a loop by crossing over DNA chains, tightening the structure.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2024

My job is to admire it, not overwind it.

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2018

This required a large number of turns of the winding key, but not much force per turn, and it was possible to overwind and break the watch.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

“It’s how my father taught me. If I don’t wind it consistently, it won’t keep time as well. And if I overwind it, the mainspring might break.”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

When Will was little, his dad used to let him wind it up, pulling out the tiny stem and turning the metal knob, careful never to overwind.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023