overwind

[oh-ver-wahynd]

verb (used with object)

overwound, overwinding 

1. to wind beyond the proper limit; wind too far.

   He must have overwound his watch.

overwind

/ ˌəʊvəˈwaɪnd /

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of overwind¹

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

Example Sentences

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

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“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.”

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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.

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My job is to admire it, not overwind it.

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Young, moist tendrils do not tend to overwind, the researchers report online today in Science, but mature, dry tendrils do—helping to explain how delicate tendrils gradually stiffen to support a vine laden with cucumbers.

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