overscan

O1V4E1R1S1C3A1N1

noun

The additional area around the four edges of a video image, outside of the safe area, that is not normally seen by the viewer.

OriginEnglish scan ← Middle English scanne ← Latin scandō →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounoverscan (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebroadcastingThe additional area around the four edges of a video image, outside of the safe area, that is not normally seen by the viewer.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*skend-
  8. Proto-Italic*skandō
  9. Latinscandō
  10. Middle Englishscanden
  11. Middle Englishscanne
  12. Englishscan
  13. Englishoverscan

From over- + scan.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

conversa
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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