Overbow
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A structural piece that arches over another piece.
"The overbow formers are then lowered out of the net contour, exposing fixed net contour ( inner mold line ) formers."
- 1 To arch over. poetic, transitive
"Now her white lips would kiss away the gore— Speed, Alice, speed, or thou Wilt have but my dead frame to overbow!"
- 2 To show excessive deference toward by too much bowing. transitive
"Russian officers, especially titled ones, and their families, are naturally exempt from such ignominious treatment, and Alain's small party—all excepting Lustrac, of course, who had at once to go and interview the highest authorities present, so as to spare the touch of ill-bred fingers to Sacha's dainty robes and laces—were bowed and rebowed, and in fact quite overbowed, into the aforesaid room, where the ruddiness of a generous fire showed between the half-open brass doors of the gigantic and home-like porcelain stove, and a basket overflowing with enormous Russian violets filled the middle of the well-set table."
- 3 To bow or bend (something) over beyond its natural trajectory; to bend in a contrary direction. transitive
"True it is, becauſe moſt in that age ranne riot in adoring of Churches […] the Waldenſes (out of that old errour not yet worn out, That the beſt way to ſtraighten what is crooked, is to over-bow it) denied Churches that relative holineſſe and fit reverence due unto them."
- 4 To bend too far. intransitive
"A thicker back will bend less, and be less prone to overbow and the resultant cracking."
- 5 To overburden. transitive
"Now the next thing that I have to remind thee of is this, that thou take care of thyself: first of thy mind, that thou do not overbow it; and that thou take care of thy body, that thou do not overwork thyself: it will be enough that thou see the work done."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To provide (an archer) with a bow that requires more strength than the archer can fully draw. transitive
"Another characteristic of an "overbowed" archer can readily be observed by watching the alignment of his back while he is shooting."
- 7 To use a bow that requires more strength than the archer can fully draw. intransitive
"The tendency of all archers is to overbow."
- 8 To use too much pressure when playing a stringed instrument using a bow.
"The VPO seems so caught up with Bernstein's febrile vision that it overblows and overbows and overbangs frequently."
- 1 Extending beyond the bow (front of a ship) not-comparable
"It has a lifting capacity of 2000 short tons with fixed boom in overbow position."
Example
More examples"Now her white lips would kiss away the gore— Speed, Alice, speed, or thou Wilt have but my dead frame to overbow!"
Etymology
From over- + bow.
More for "overbow"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.