overflow

verb

/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊ/

/ˌəʊvərˈfləʊ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they overflow	/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊ/ /ˌəʊvərˈfləʊ/
he / she / it overflows	/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊz/ /ˌəʊvərˈfləʊz/
past simple overflowed	/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊd/ /ˌəʊvərˈfləʊd/
past participle overflowed	/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊd/ /ˌəʊvərˈfləʊd/
-ing form overflowing	/ˌəʊvəˈfləʊɪŋ/ /ˌəʊvərˈfləʊɪŋ/

jump to other results

[intransitive, transitive] to be so full that the contents go over the sides
- The bath is overflowing!
- overflow with something Plates overflowed with party food.
- His bag was overflowing with clothes.
- (figurative) Her heart overflowed with love.
- overflow something The river overflowed its banks.
[intransitive] overflow (with something) (of a place) to have too many people in it
- The streets were overflowing with the crowds.
- The hospitals are filled to overflowing (= with patients).
[intransitive, transitive] overflow (into something) | overflow (something) to spread beyond the limits of a place or container that is too full
- The meeting overflowed into the street.
- The chemicals overflowed from their storage tank.

Word OriginOld English oferflōwan (see over-, flow).

noun

/ˈəʊvəfləʊ/

/ˈəʊvərfləʊ/

jump to other results

[uncountable, singular] a number of people or things that do not fit into the space available
- A new office block was built to accommodate the overflow of staff.
- an overflow car park
[uncountable, singular] the action of liquid flowing out of a container, etc. that is already full; the liquid that flows out
- an overflow of water from the lake
- (figurative) an overflow of powerful emotions
(also overflow pipe)
[countable] a pipe that allows extra liquid to flow away safely when a container is full
[countable, usually singular] (computing) a fault that happens because a number or data item is too large for the computer to represent it exactlyTopics Computersc2

Word OriginOld English oferflōwan (see over-, flow).