overwinter

American  

[oh-ver-win-ter] / ˌoʊ vərˈwɪn tər /

verb (used without object)

1. to pass, spend, or survive the winter.

   to overwinter on the Riviera.

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overwinter British  

/ ˌəʊvəˈwɪntə /

verb

1. (intr) to spend winter (in or at a particular place)

2. (tr) to keep (animals or plants) alive through the winter

3. (intr) (of an animal or plant) to remain alive throughout the winter

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Etymology

Origin of overwinter

First recorded in 1890–95; over- + winter, replacing Old English oferwintran “to get through the winter,” which had become obsolete by the end of the Old English period (around 1150), and modeled on Norwegian and Danish overvintre, Swedish övervintra, Dutch overwinteren, or German überwintern

Example Sentences

Nearly every one of those caterpillars at some point drops from the tree canopy to overwinter or create a chrysalis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

As Dr Elizabeth Duncan says: "Unfortunately, they do compete with and can outcompete some native ladybird species, but they like to overwinter in different environments - harlequins in our homes and seven-spots in leaf litter."

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

“Most butterflies and moths overwinter in the landscape either as eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises or adults,” says Barton.

From National Geographic • Oct. 12, 2023

"We found evidence that temperature and precipitation effects occur throughout the year -- from bud break, while the grapes are growing and maturing, during harvesting, and even overwinter when the plant is dormant."

From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023

In fact, acceptance of cognitive egalitarianism means they cannot think historically, for a cognitive egalitarian cannot explain why, to take but one example, we no longer believe that swallows overwinter in ponds.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton