Overtook

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Overtake \O`ver*take"\, v. t. [imp. {Overtook}; p. p.
     {Overtaken}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Overtaking}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. To come up with in a race, pursuit, progress, or motion;
        also, to catch up with and move ahead of.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]


  
              Follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake
              them, say . . . Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for
              good.                                 --Gen. xliv.
                                                    4.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He had him overtaken in his flight.   --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence: To surpass in production, achievement, etc.; as,
        although out of school for half a year due to illness, the
        student returned and overtook all the others to finish as
        valedictorian.
        [PJC]
  
     3. To come upon from behind; to discover; to surprise; to
        capture; to overcome.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              If a man be overtaken in a fault.     --Gal. vi. 1
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I shall see
              The winged vengeance overtake such children. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Hence, figuratively, in the past participle (overtaken),
        drunken. [Obs.] --Holland.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. To frustrate or render impossible or irrelevant; -- used
        mostly of plans, and commonly in the phrase overtaken by
        events; as, their careful marketing plan was overtaken by
        events.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  overtake
       v 1: catch up with and possibly overtake; "The Rolls Royce caught
            us near the exit ramp" [syn: {catch}, {catch up with}]
       2: travel past; "The sports car passed all the trucks" [syn: {pass},
           {overhaul}]
       3: overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli [syn: {overwhelm},
           {overpower}, {sweep over}, {whelm}, {overcome}]
       [also: {overtook}, {overtaken}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  overtook
       See {overtake}