Etymology

overthrow

over·throw
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Today it means: To bring about the downfall of (a government, etc.), especially by force; to usurp. Full definition →

Middle English overthrowen
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overthrow · verb, noun1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromoverthrow
  2. Middle English · inherited fromoverthrowen
  3. English todayoverthrow

From Middle English overthrowen, equivalent to over- + throw. Compare Dutch overdraaien, German überdrehen, Old English oferweorpan (“to overthrow”). For the noun sense, compare Middle English overthrow, overthrowe (“destruction, downfall”), from the verb.

overthrow · verb, noun2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Englishthrow
  8. English todayoverthrow

From over- + throw.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.