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Overdrive

//ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈdɹaɪv// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
A gear, on an automobile, higher than the traditional top gear, mainly to allow better fuel economy at highway speeds. In the 21st century, such gears are no longer viewed as "extra" and thus rarely called by this name. countable, dated, uncountable
"Near-synonym: top gear"
2
a high gear used at high speeds to maintain the driving speed with less output power wordnet
3
A state of heightened activity. figuratively, uncountable
"overdrive pacing"
4
the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration wordnet
5
Freewheeling (driving a vehicle with the transmission in neutral) on downhill stretches to achieve higher fuel economy and/or speed than otherwise. In colloquial registers, ethnically bigoted variants have been common, such as Jewish overdrive (alluding to the stereotype of miserly Jews) or Mexican overdrive or Polish overdrive (alluding to stereotypes of foolishness and poverty). countable, euphemistic, slang, uncountable
"Of course overdrive is forbidden for dump trucks in the quarry because it is unsafe, but unscrupulous workers were found to be using it because of a perverse incentive involving tonnage piece rates."

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6
A gear ratio higher than 1:1: one in which a single revolution of the driving element corresponds to more than one revolution of the driven element. countable, uncountable

Verb

1
To drive too hard, or far, or beyond strength. transitive
2
make use of too often or too extensively wordnet
3
drive or work too hard wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English overdriven, from Old English oferdrīfan, equivalent to over- + drive. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uurdrieuwe (“to overdo, overstate”), Dutch overdrijven (“to exaggerate”), German Low German overdrieven, överdrieven (“to overdo, exaggerate”), German übertreiben (“to overdo, exaggerate”), Norwegian overdrive (“to exaggerate”).

Etymology 2

From over- + drive, originally referring to gear ratios over 1:1.

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