Meanings
plural overshifts
- hobbiesThe strategy or act of positioning defensive players extra far toward the offense's strong side, leaving portions of the field or court undefended.
The overshift works well against left-handed hitters who pull the ball farthest to the right.
2011, Evander Lomke, Martin Rowe, Right Off the Bat: Baseball, Cricket, Literature, & Life, →ISBN, page 612 more examples
The chart, representing two players, shows how the overshift principle forces the offensive player to traverse a greater distance than the defensive player who is guarding him.
1975, William Albert Healey, Joseph W. Hartley, Basketball's ten greatest defenses, page 24By using the overshift, you can also develop a good stunting game that will not leave you wide open in case of fullback traps or even option plays.
1977, Coach and Athlete - Volume 40, page 28 - chemistryThe amount of displacement in the layers in a crystal lattice that places the layers too far apart for molecular bonding.
These large overshifts increase the value of the monoclinic β angle over the ideal value by 1-2° in muscovite-IM.
1997, Robert Andrew Howie, J. Zussman, Rock-forming minerals - Volume 3, Part 1, →ISBN, page 2882 more examples
The protruding basal oxygens are themselves displaced slightly in the x-direction so that the shift required is either 0.4 + δÅ (overshift) or 0.4 -δ Å (undershift).
1983, Leslie Michaels, Seymour S. Chissick, R. Derricott, Asbestos, properties, applications, and hazards, →ISBN, page 114In the structure of chrysotile 2M_(c1) illustrated in Figure 7.6 is approximately 0.1 Å, and so overshift is 0.5 Å and the undershift is 0.3 Å, occurring in successive layers to produce a two-layer unit cell with B = 93.3°.
1988, Sturges W. Bailey, Reviews in Mineralogy - Volume 19, page 105 - engineeringA misalignment resulting from shifting gears too far.
Damaging chain overshifts from misadjusted derailleurs can occur after wheel swaps, but they're avoidable.
2010, Todd Downs, The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair, →ISBN, page 522 more examples
Back off second speed, overshift stop screw slightly, and determine that speed poppet is seated in notch. Tighten screw to permit a very slight overshift of lever to rear.
1971, Chilton's Auto Repair Manual, 1940-1953, page 624One other derailleur problem I should mention is that of chain overshift or overshooting the gear you select.
1982, Eugene A. Sloane, Eugene A. Sloane's bicycle maintenance manual, page 88 - A change that results in something being moved too far or too many things being moved.
Free migration would result in an overshift of population into urban areas and probably an overshift out of interior regions.
1985, World Bank Staff Working Paper, →ISBN, page 952 more examples
These exceptional vowel qualities represent overshifts and nonshifts, and they are very consistently maintained in the local dialects.
1989, Eung-Do Cook, Keren D. Rice, Athapaskan Linguistics: Current Perspectives on a Language Family, →ISBNShe initiates the pattern with pelvic elevation and a strong overshift of her trunk to the left as she circumducts and lifts her leg with knee extension.
2015, Suzanne Tink Martin, Mary Kessler, Neurologic Interventions for Physical Therapy, →ISBN, page 354 - A work period that extends significantly beyond the normal eight-hour shift; An instance of involuntary overtime.
Only two overshifts at the outside can be required in one week; and the regular working period must not be increased by more than two hours.
1895, Engineering and Mining Journal - Volume 59, page 5622 more examples
After the revolution, the coming into power of the Socialists, as the only compact and organized party, raised very extravagant hopes with all workmen, and one of the first acts of the new men was the introduction of a maximum working day of eight hours, with prohibition of overshifts.
1920, The Century - Volume 100, page 256It made a seven-day week, without rest except at night. Also, it often fell out that we had to work "overshifts", that is, work from Tuesday morning with no break except for meals, till Wednesday night.
1978, Seven Shifts, page 60 - An unfitted woman's overgarment.
The two slaves who dressed her hurried forward, one with the nearly translucent overshift, the other with the heavy collar of onyx and gold that held it in place.
2011, Tanya Huff, Nights of the Round Table: And Other Stories of Heroic Fantasy, →ISBN
present singular third person overshifts · participle present overshifting · participle past overshifted · past overshifted
- hobbiesTo position defensive players too far in a particular direction.
On the screen we have seen Detroit shift to a Frisco defense, in which they overshift the two tackles and the end toward our flanker.
2014, Vince Lombardi, Run to Daylight!, →ISBN2 more examples
In addition, overshifting to one side and undershifting to the other may be used as a defensive plan to meet personnel or field problems.
1962, David M. Nelson, Football; Principles and Play, page 39At times the defense will overshift because of anxiousness, aggressiveness, or anticipation. Emphasis on the passing option available will diagnose in what position and situation on the floor that the defense has a tendency to overshift.
1973, Richard W. Harvey, Coaching Basketball's Multiple Set Zone Offense, page 123 - engineeringTo overshoot when changing gears.
Back off second speed, overshift stop screw slightly, and determine that speed poppet is seated in notch.
1971, Chilton's Auto Repair Manual, 1940-1953, page 6242 more examples
The objects of the invention are to automatically throw off the power and to apply the brake in such a manner that it will have no tendency to produce too sudden a stop or to overshift and release before the car has stopped.
1905, Specifications and Drawings of Patents Issued from the United States Patent Office for January 1905Shift down rapidly to the smallest rear cog. The chain must not overshift so it rubs on the spokes or on the spoke protector as you shift up
1991, Eugene A. Sloane, Sloane's Complete Book of All-terrain Bicycles, →ISBN, page 39 - To move too great an amount or move something too far.
Thus, the expansionary fiscal policy overshifts aggregate demand to AD2 rather than ADQ.
2003, The British Herpetological Society Bulletin, page 2773 more examples
But I think there is this tendency to overshift the responsibility with this doctrine, and that is my genuine concern and why I could not agree to go along with it.
1965, Maine Legislature, Legislative Record - Volume 2, page 2423Usually a beginner overshifts just as a beginning driver oversteers an automible for the first few times.
1978, Burton Stanley, Instrument Repair for the Music Teacher, →ISBN, page 58Hip OA is associated with an antalgic gait, one in which the patient overshifts the weight while walking to reduce the pain.
2014, Marc C. Hochberg, Alan J. Silman, Josef S. Smolen, Rheumatology, →ISBN, page 1451 - economicsTo raise the price to consumers by more than an underlying cost increase that results from rising taxes.
Concavity of demand leads to undershifting and sufficient convexity to overshifting.
1995, Gareth D. Myles, Public Economics, →ISBN, page 3632 more examples
However, according to Kay and Keen (1991), neither undershifting of both taxes, nor overshifting of both, is a plausible scenario under the quality model.
2003, Public Relations Review: A Journal of Research and CommentWhether this indirect effect causes an overshifting or undershifting of price depends upon the level of spillovers.
2007, Patrick W. Barnes, Economic Perspectives on Innovation and Invention, →ISBN, page 34 - agricultureTo replant or repot too soon or too often.
Particular care must be taken not to overshift such kinds as E. tricolor and its varieties, retorta, Hartnellii, &c. During their progress in growth, attention must be given to train and form the plants as may be desired.
1852, The Floricultural Cabinet, and Florists' Magazine - Volume 20, page 341 more example
We presume it to be a plant requiring to be grown in peat earth, and :to have the pots in which it is, grown well and carefully drained of superfluous water; and we should further suppose it undesirable to overshift it, especially while young, and in an unestablished condition.
1849, Annals of Horticulture - Volume 4, page 155
Origin
Cite this entry
overshift. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overshift
“overshift.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overshift. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overshift,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overshift.
Source: overshift on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.