Dictionary

overflow en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• ōʹvər-flō
• ōʹvə-flō
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈəʊvəˌfləʊ/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈoʊvɚˌfloʊ/

Etymology

From Middle English overflowen, from Old English oferflōwan, equivalent to over- + flow.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The spillage resultant from overflowing.
   • High crests of these overflows were: Manhattan, 23.0 feet, 8.0 above bankful, on June 16–17; Wamego, 20.8 feet, 4.8 feet above bankful, on June 17; Topeka, 26.8 feet, 5.8 feet above bankful, on June 17; […] 1943, Climatological Data, page 8:
2. (countable, uncountable) An outlet for escape of excess material.
3. (countable, uncountable) Excess, superabundance
   • GCN: Do you have an overflow of scripts? JG: I have more than we could ever do, certainly. But there's never an overflow of quality, and quality is really hard to come by, real quality. 1977 February 12, Don Shewey, John Glines, “Theatre Profiles Part II”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 33, page 8:
4. (countable, uncountable) The situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range.

Forms

Deriveds

overflow bug · overflow pool · overflow meeting · overflow hole

Translations (54)

de Uberschuß (excess) · es aliviadero (outlet) · pt transbordamento (spillage) · hy հեղուկաթափ անցք (outlet) · ru перели́в (spillage) · pl przepełnienie (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · it eccedenza (spillage) · pt transbordo (spillage) · cs přetečení (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · fr débordement (spillage) · de Übergeflossene(s) (spillage) · la alluviō (spillage) · es rebosamiento (spillage) · hy գերհոսք (spillage) · pl nadmiar (excess) · it sfogo (outlet) · el υπερχείλιση (outlet) · pt transbordamento (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · ro revărsare (spillage) · pam manyampukaki (spillage) · el ξεχείλισμα (spillage) · es escape (outlet) · de Überlauf (outlet) · es derrame (spillage) · fi ylivuoto (spillage) · it straripamento (spillage) · sq derdh (spillage) · ar فَيَضَان (spillage) · pl odpływ (outlet) · fi ylivuoto (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · tl pag-apaw (spillage) · ru переполне́ние (spillage) · hy արտահոսք (spillage) · de Übergelaufene(s) (spillage) · ru избы́ток (spillage) · ms limpahan (spillage) · it uscita (outlet) · hy ջրաթափ (outlet) · sk pretečenie (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · pl przelew (outlet) · es rebose (spillage) · es rebalse (spillage) · es desbordamiento (spillage) · it overflow (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · pt ladrão (outlet) · pl wylew (spillage) · pt overflow (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · el υπερχείλιση (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · lt perpildymas (computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range) · ota فیضان (spillage) · es rebosadura (spillage) · kk аса толтыру (spillage) · el υπερχείλιση (spillage) · it eccesso (spillage)

overflow en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˌoʊvɚˈfloʊ/
• (Southern-England) audio
• ō-və-flōʹ
• (Southern-England) audio
• ō-vər-flōʹ
• /ˌəʊvəˈfləʊ/

Etymology

From Middle English overflowen, from Old English oferflōwan, equivalent to over- + flow.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To flow over the brim of (a container).
   • The river overflowed the levee into the road.
   • Locally heavy rains on the 21st caused more than 2 feet of overflow on Salt Creek at Ashland, Nebr., on the 22d. Some county roads were inundated. Mill Creek which flows into the Platte River at Louisville, Nebr., overflowed its banks from the heavy rain. 1965 January 1, “General Summary of River and Flood Conditions-Continued”, in Climatological Data: National Summary, volume 16, number 1, Asheville, NC: United States Weather Bureau, page 265:
   • The shadows had begun to overflow Their stagnant puddles on the nightward side, When presently the roar of battle died 2018, John G. Neihardt, A Cycle of the West, page 461:
   • Theſe are they that went ouer Ioꝛden in the firſt moneth, when it had ouerflowen all his* bankes, and they put to flight all them of the valleis, both toward the Eaſt, and toward the Weſt. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Chronicles 12:15:
2. (transitive) To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.
   • The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.
   • So when they were working that evening at the pumps, there was on this head no small gamesomeness slily going on among them, as they stood with their feet continually overflowed by the rippling clear water […] 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:
3. (transitive) To cause an overflow.
4. (intransitive) To flow over the brim of a container.
   • The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.
5. (intransitive) To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity.
   • The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.
6. (figuratively, intransitive) To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity. ▸ To have something in superabundance; to abound in something.
   • I see and feel that I want the first requisite — a heart overflowing with Divine love towards sinners 1857, Eustace Rogers Conder, Josiah Conder: A Memoir:
7. (ambitransitive) To (cause to) exceed the available numeric range.
   • Some programs, especially online games, tend to have coding problems that leave them with memory holes - in other words, they don't delete information from your PC's memory once they're finished with it, they just keep adding and adding until everything overflows. Eventually, this can cause the game to crash to desktop, but adding more memory can help prevent this. 2008, Adam Oxford, Windows Vista - Autumn 2008, Future US, →ISSN, page 67:
   • Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte.

Forms

Deriveds

underflow · overflowable · buffer overflow · full to overflowing · overflower

Synonyms

brim over · overbrim · brim over · brim over · overrun · overflood · overbrim · overbrim

Translations (106)

la stāgnō ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · mi puhake ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · hy ողողվել ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · he עָלָה עַל גְּדוֹתָיו ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ru перелива́ться ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · eo elrandiĝi ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · gd cuir thairis ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ota آزمق ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · it ridondare (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · ru перели́ться ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · hy հեղեղվել ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · he גָּלַשׁ ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · vi tràn ngập ((transitive) to cover with a liquid) · es bosar (disused) ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ca desbordar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · la inundō ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ru переполня́ть ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · arz فاض ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ms limpah atas ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · es desbordar ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · hy հորդել ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi engaenga ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ebk choron ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · pl przelać ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · it sommergere ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · fi aiheuttaa ylivuoto (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · es rebosar ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · la redundō ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · vi tràn (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · pl zalać ((transitive) to cover with a liquid) · mi ngāekieki ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · mi pūhakehake ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · gl botar por fóra ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · vec simar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · vec ndar par sora ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi pūrena ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · tl apawan ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · knb lumay-as ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi renga ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi ngāekieki ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi kōhure ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · pl przepełniać (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · th ท่วม ((transitive) to cover with a liquid) · es rebalsar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ifk habong ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · uk переповня́тися ((intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity) · pt transbordar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · gag taşmaa ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · de überlaufen ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · de überfließen ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · el υπερεκχειλίζω ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · es colmar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · la stāgnō ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ca vessar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi ngawhā ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ru переполня́ть (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · pl zalewać ((transitive) to cover with a liquid) · pam manyampukaki ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · uk перелива́тися ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · mi puhake ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · uk перели́тися ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · es desbordarse ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · ebk kor-as ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ifk lakbi ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ilo lupias ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · uk перепо́внитися ((intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity) · ru перелива́ться ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · es desbordar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · la inundō ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · it traboccare ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ja 溢れる ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi tōrena ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · el ξεχειλίζω ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · it ridondare ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ug تاشماق ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · mi kōrengarenga ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · cmn 漫溢 ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ru выходить за пределы ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · ru переполня́ться (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · tl umapaw ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ru переполня́ться ((intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity) · nb renne over ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · trk-oat طاشمق ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · fi ylitäyttää ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · pl przepełniać ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ota طاشمق ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · vi tràn ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · pl przepełnić (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · mi puha ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ro se revărsa ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · fr déborder ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · es rebalsar ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · cmn 溢出 ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · vec ẑimar ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · ar فَاضَ ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · vi tràn ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · fi ylittää rajoitus (computing: to exceed the available numeric range) · ru перепо́лниться ((intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity) · pl przepełnić ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · tr taşmak ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · pl przelewać ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · vec limegare ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · tyz bjằn ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · ru течь через край ((intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container) · nn renne over ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of) · th ล้น ((transitive) to fill beyond the limits of)