overtop
/əʊvəˈtɒp
/verb (overtops, overtopping, overtopped) [with object]
1Exceed in height: no building is allowed to overtop the cathedral...
- The brow of the upland overtops the square tower of the Colebrook Church.
- This was used as the base for a large ram moved up under the protection of a wooden shed, or for siege towers designed to overtop the defenders' walls.
- ‘Sit down, sit down,’ he growled, for he hated - or pretended to hate-big men to overtop him, even in the more physical matter of height which of course none of us can help.
1.1(Especially of water) rise over the top of (a barrier): the old sea wall is regularly overtopped by high tides...
- I have never seen so much water overtopping a dam.
- Water overtopped the levee of the industrial canal and poured into the lower Ninth Ward, reflooding it for the second time in three weeks.
- The wall is designed to prevent waves overtopping the seafront road but Scarborough Civic Society and the Sons of Neptune environmental group say it is clear from their own consultant's report the wall is not needed.
1.2 archaic Be superior to: none can overtop him in goodness...
- Who are they to overtop their fellows?
- His great contemporaries undoubtedly overtopped him in popularity.
adverb & preposition chiefly Canadian
Over: [as preposition]: sprinkle the mixture overtop the batter...
- Chaotic and unfocused, though also ambitious and intriguing, the production work was at times akin to listening to two perfectly solid tracks laid overtop of one another.
- Smeared makeup, somewhat messy hair, vinyl outfit and only a small sweater to wear overtop…
- The clock overtop the teak lingerie chest is a local antique, while the toss cushions hail from India, the area rug from Iran and the seagrass ottoman from Vietnam.