O'erflow, vb. 1) intr. a) to swell and run over the banks: “the --ing Nilus,” Ant. I, 2, 49. Metaphorically, == to abound: “to make the coming hour o. with joy and pleasure drown the brim,” All's II, 4, 47.
b) to have too much water, to be drowned: “when heaven doth weep, doth not the earth o.?” Tit. III, 1, 222.
2) trans. a) to swell over, to overrun, to inundate, to drown: “who, being stopped, the bounding banks --s,” Lucr. 1119. “he that in this action contrives against his own nobility, in his proper stream --s himself,” All's IV, 3, 30. “this dotage --s the measure,” Ant. I, 1, 2. “the earth, fearing to be --ed,” Per. IV, 4, 40.
b) to stream with, to pour out in abundance: “such brooks are welcome to me, that o. such liquor,” Wiv. II, 2, 157.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
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