overbreak

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verb

To cave in near the edge of an excavation.

“He was never able to overbreak his rheumatism.”

OriginMiddle English *overbreken ← Old English oferbrecan →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

verboverbreak (third-person singular simple present overbreaks, present participle overbreaking, simple past overbroke, past participle overbroken)

present singular third person overbreaks · participle present overbreaking · past overbroke · participle past overbroken

  1. intransitiveTo cave in near the edge of an excavation.

    This proved wise as the south and west walls of the winder chamber overbroke badly and blocky ground was encountered in the area set aside for the electrical equipment.

    1958, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Proceedings - Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Issues 183-188
  2. UKdialectaltransitiveTo get over; recover from.

    He was never able to overbreak his rheumatism.

nounoverbreak (plural overbreaks)

plural overbreaks

  1. civil engineeringRock or earth excavated beyond the planned extent; caving in of material near the edge of an excavation.

    The presence of faults and joint structures in stope walls within the ore body has resulted in overbreak of ore into adjacent stopes.

    2001, W.A. Hustrulid, Richard Bullock, Underground Mining Methods: Engineering Fundamentals and International Case Studies, page 248
    1 more example

    The overbreak depends on several factors. Foremost among them are the following: Spacing between the joints. Shattering effect of blasting on the rock located beyond the payline.

    1946, Karl Terzaghi, Rock Defects and Loads on Tunnel Supports, page 49

Origin

  1. Old Englishoferbrecan“to transgress, violate”
  2. Middle English*overbreken
  3. Englishoverbreak

From Middle English *overbreken, from Old English oferbrecan (“to transgress, violate”), equivalent to over- + break.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

overbrake
Cite this entry
APA

overbreak. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbreak

MLA

“overbreak.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbreak. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overbreak,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbreak.

Source: overbreak on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.