overshoot

plural overshoots

1. countableThe amount by which something goes too far.

   Let's see if we can predict and correct for the overshoot.

2. countableuncountablebiologyThe situation where the population of a species exceeds its environment's carrying capacity.

   Our core ecological problem is not climate change. It is overshoot, of which global warming is a symptom.

   2017 August 14, Richard Heinberg, “Systemic Change Driven by Moral Awakening Is Our Only Hope”, in Ecowatch

   2 more examples

   With appropriate choice and action such uncontrolled decline could be avoided; overshoot could instead be resolved by a conscious effort to reduce humanity's demand on the planet.

   2004, Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, Dennis Meadows, “Author's preface”, in Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, →ISBN

   Population overshoot is therefore unlikely to yield to management. Rather, the usual suspects will enter the scene and do their thing: starvation, disease, […] violence […] [and] death […].

   2012, James Howard Kunstler, “Where We're at”, in Too Much Magic, →ISBN

3. countableuncountableartsThe portion of a letter extending above the capline of other letters of the same font, or the relative degree of such extent.

   The portion resting beyond the capline or baseline is called overshoot.

   2019, Reece Patton, Formatting for Print

   1 more example

   The bowl of the D and the O are usually not identical, as most D forms do not have overshoot or undershoot.

   2020, Karen Cheng, Designing Type, 2nd edition, page 88

present singular third person overshoots · participle present overshooting · participle past overshot · past overshot

1. To go past something; to go too far.

   When you drive, you must remember to not overshoot the parking space and end up with two wheels over the line.

   2 more examples

   As a result of the accident at Southend Airport when a Hermes aircraft overshot the runway and fouled the down Shenfield to Southend Victoria line between Rochford and Prittlewell, the Eastern Region is considering warning arrangements, which have already been provided on some lines running past aerodromes.

   1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Aircraft on rail tracks”, in Trains Illustrated, page 650

   A ScotRail Driver: […] A good friend of mine overshot two stations back-to-back a couple of years ago. He tried to stop at one station and slid by it. Tried to stop at the next station. He slid by that, too.

   2021 December 15, Paul Clifton, “There is nothing you can do”, in RAIL, number 946, page 37

2. To shoot beyond; to shoot too far to hit something.

   not to overshoot his game

   1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London

3. To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond.
4. figurativelyTo exceed.

   to overshoot the truth

   3 more examples

   That fire abated that impells rash youth, Proud of his speed to overshoot the truth,

   1782, William Cowper, “Conversation”, in Poems: by William Cowper, of the Inner Temple, Esq., →OCLC

   Measured this way humanity was last at sustainable levels in the 1980s. Now it has overshot by some 20 percent.

   2004, Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, Dennis Meadows, “Author's preface”, in Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, →ISBN

   The amount a letter overshoots is based on the design, but your eye shouldn’t notice it.

   2019, Reece Patton, Formatting for Print

   Synonyms: overrun

5. reflexiveTo venture too far; to overreach (oneself).
6. To record too much photographic footage.