Overcharge

Overcharge

Verb / Noun · /ˌəʊ.vəˈtʃɑːdʒ/ (verb), /ˈəʊ.və.tʃɑːdʒ/ (noun)

Definition

(Verb) to charge too much money — to demand a price above the fair or agreed amount; to charge a battery or electrical device beyond its capacity. (Noun) an instance of charging too much; an excessive charge or price; a charge on a battery beyond recommended limits.

Origin

From over- (beyond, in excess) + charge (from Old French chargier, to load — from Late Latin carricare, to load a vehicle, from carrus, a wheeled vehicle). The financial sense — charging beyond the correct or fair amount — being the dominant modern use, established from the sixteenth century. The electrical sense — overcharging a battery — being modern, arising with electrical technology. The general sense of loading something beyond its capacity preserving the literal meaning of the Latin root.