Over

Over

Preposition / Adverb / Adjective / Prefix · /ˈəʊ.vər/

Definition

(Preposition) above and across; on top of; across the surface of; more than; during; about; by means of. (Adverb) above; across; to or on the other side; finished or ended. (Adjective) finished; ended. (Prefix) above, excessively, or beyond — as in overdo, overlook, overcast.

Origin

From Old English ofer (above, across, over, beyond, during), from Proto-Germanic *uberi, cognate with German über, Dutch over, Latin super, Greek hyper. One of the oldest and most productive words in the English language — appearing in Old English with all the core spatial, temporal, and intensifying senses it retains today. The prefix over- being one of the most productive in English, generating hundreds of compound words where it conveys excess (overdo), superiority (overlook), completion (overcome), or coverage (overcast). Over as an independent word also being among the most frequently used in the language.