overnim

O1V4E1R1N1I1M3

verb

To overtake; seize.

OriginMiddle English overnimen ← Old English oferniman →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbovernim (third-person singular simple present overnims, present participle overnimming, simple past overnam or overnimmed, past participle overnum or overnimmed)

present singular third person overnims · participle present overnimming · past overnam · past overnimmed · participle past overnum · participle past overnimmed

  1. archaictransitiveTo overtake; seize.

Origin

  1. Old Englishoferniman“to take violently, take away, carry off, confiscate”
  2. Middle Englishovernimen
  3. Englishovernim

From Middle English overnimen, from Old English oferniman (“to take violently, take away, carry off, confiscate”), equivalent to over- + nim (“to take”). Cognate with Dutch overnemen (“to take over”), German übernehmen (“to take over”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

overnim. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overnim

MLA

“overnim.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overnim. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overnim,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overnim.

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