overspeed

present singular third person overspeeds · participle present overspeeding · US participle past oversped · US past oversped · UK participle past overspeeded · UK past overspeeded

1. intransitiveTo travel excessively fast or beyond the permitted rate.

   Caully-flowers over-speeding to pome and head..should be quite erradicated ^([sic – meaning eradicated]).

   1691, John Evelyn, Kalendarium Hortense

2. intransitivesometimestransitiveusuallyengineeringTo operate an engine or machine too fast.

   The device should be periodically tested by overspeeding the engine say once a month.

   1949, A. C. Walshaw, Heat Engines (3 ed.)

3. IndiaintransitiveTo speed; to drive a vehicle faster than the permitted speed limit.

plural overspeeds

1. countableuncountableSpeed that exceeds a reasonable or permitted rate.

   Trashes are clogs strapped round the neck of a dog to prevent his overspeed.

   1826, Samuel Weller Singer, The Dramatic Works Of William Shakespeare: Macbeth. Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark. King Lear...

   2 more examples

   Protection devices are provided for engine and locomotive overspeed (maximum service speed is set at 90 m.p.h.); [...].

   1961 July, “The Hymek Type 3 diesel locomotive for the Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 437

   Investigating four 'overspeed' incidents during hot weather on July 18/19, RAIB discovered that confusion over where the BESRs [blanket emergency speed restrictions] started and finished, as well as the routes to which they applied, were contributory factors. […] There were no consequences from the overspeeds, [resulting from the BESRs] which had been put in place owing to danger of buckled rails.

   2022 December 14, “Network News: RAIB issues briefing on emergency speed restrictions”, in RAIL, number 972, page 16