OVERPOISE', v. a. & n. s. Over and poise. To outweigh the noun signifies preponderance of weight.

Whether cripples who have lost their thighs will float; their lungs being able to waft up their bodies, which are in others over-poised by the hinder legs; we have not made experiment. Browne.

Horace, in his first and second book of odes, was still rising, but came not to his meridian till the third. After which his judgment was an over-poise to his imagination. He grew too cautious to be bold enough, for he descended in his fourth by slow degrees. Dryden. The scale

O'er-poised by darkness, lets the night prevail;
And day, that lengthened in the summer's height,
Shortens till winter, and is lost in night. Creech.
OVERPOWER', v. a. Over and power.
To be predominant over; to oppress by supe-
riority.

Now in danger tried, now known in arms
Not to be over-powered. Milton's Paradise Lost.

As much light over-powers the eye, so they who have weak eyes, when ground is covered with snow, are wont to complain of too much light. Boyle.

After the death of Crassus, Pompey found himself outwitted by Cæsar; he broke with him, overpowered him in the senate, and caused many unjust decrees to pass against him. Dryden.

The historians make these mountains the standards of the rise of the water; which they could never have been, had they not been standing when it did so rise and over-power the earth.

Woodward.

Inspiration is, when such an over-powering impression of any proposition is made upon the mind by God himself, that gives a convincing and indubitable evidence of the truth and divinity of it.

Watts's Logick.

OVERREACH', v. a. Over and reach. To rise above; to circumvent; to go beyond.

What more cruel than man, if he see himself able by fraud to over-reach, or by power to overbear the laws whereunto he should be subject? Hooker. I have laid my brain in the sun and dried it, that it wants matter to prevent so gross over-reaching. Shakspeare.

The mountains of Olympus, Atho, and Atlas, over-reach and surmount all winds and clouds. Raleigh.

A man who had been matchless held In cunning, over-reached where least he thought, To save his credit, and for very spight. Still will be tempting him who foils him still. Milton. There is no pleasanter encounter than a trial of skill betwixt sharpers to over-reach one another. L'Estrange. Forbidding oppression, defrauding and over-reaching one another, perfidiousness and treachery. Tillotson.

We may no more sue for them than we can tell a lie, or swear an unlawful oath, or over-reach in their cause, or be guilty of any other transgression.

OVERPRISE', v. a. Over and prise. To value at too high price.

Parents over-prize their children, while they behold them through the vapours of affection.

Wotton.

make too ripe.

Why droops my lord, like over-ripened corn, Hanging the head with Ceres' plenteous load? Shakspeare. OVERROAST', v. a. Over and roast. roast too much.

'Twas burnt and dried away, And better 'twere that both of us did fast, Since of ourselves, ourselves are cholerick, Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.

To

A wise man shall over-rule his stars, and have a greater influence upon his own content than all the constellations and planets of the firmament. Taylor. Thirty acres make a farthing land, nine farthings a Cornish acre, and four Cornish acres a knight's fee. But this rule is over-ruled to a greater or lesser quantity, according to the fruitfulness or barrenness of the soil. Carew.

He is acted by a passion which absolutely overrules him; and so can no more recover himself than a bowl rolling down a hill stop itself in the midst of its career. South. 'Tis temerity for men to venture their lives upon unequal encounters; unless where they are obliged by an over-ruling impulse of conscience and duty.

L'Estrange.

A man may, by the influence of an over-ruling planet, be inclined to lust, and yet, by the force of reason, overcome that bad influence. Swift.

OVERRUN', v. a. Over and run. To harass by incursions; to ravage; to rove over in a hostile manner; to outrun; to overspread; to pester: among printers, to be obliged to change the disposition of the lines and words in correcting, by reason of the insertions.

With an over-running flood he will make an utter end of the place. Nahum i. 8. Those barbarous nations that over-ran the world, possessed those dominions, whereof they are now so called. Spenser.

Id.

Like envious floods o'er-ran her lovely face, She was the fairest creature in the world. Galilæus noteth, that if an open trough, wherein water is, be driven faster than the water can follow, the water gathereth upon an heap towards the hinder' end, where the motion began; which he supposeth, holding the motion of the earth to be the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the ocean; because the earth over-runneth the water. Bacon.

Pyrocles, being come to sixteen, over-run his age in growth, strength, and all things following it, that not Musidorus could perform any action on horse or foot more strongly, or deliver that strength more nimbly, or become the delivery more gracefully, or employ all more virtuously.

Sidney.

They err, who count it glorious to subdue By conquest far and wide, to over-run Large countries, and in field great battles win, Great cities by assault. Milton's Paradise Lost.

The nine

Their fainting foes to shameful flight compelled, And with resistless force o'er-run the field. Dryden.

To flatter foolish men into a hope of life, where there is none, is much the same with betraying people into an opinion that they are in a virtuous and happy state, when they are over-run with passion, and drowned in their lusts. L'Estrange.

This disposition of the parts of the earth, shews us the foot-steps of some kind of ruin which happened in such a way, that at the same time a general flood of waters would necessarily over-run the whole earth. Burnet.

VOL. XVI.

Were it not for the incessant labours of this industrious animal, Egypt would be over-run with crocodiles. Addison. Gustavus Adolphus could not enter this part of the empire after having over-run most of the rest.

Addison.

Such provision made, that a country should not want springs as were convenient for it; nor be overrun with them, and afford little or nothing else; but a supply every way suitable to the necessities of each climate and region of the globe. Woodward's Natural History.

A common-wealth may be over-run by a powerful neighbour, which may produce bad consequences upon your trade and liberty. Swift's Miscellanies. OVERSEE', v. a. I Over and see. To suOVERSEER', n. s. perintend; to overlook; to omit; or mistake: any superintendant is an

They rather observed what he had done and suffered for the king and for his country, without farther enquiring what he had omitted to do, or been overseen in doing. Clarendon.

The church-wardens and overseers of the poor night find it possible to discharge their duties, whereas now in the greater out-parishes many of the poorer parishioners, through neglect, do perish for want of some heedful eye to overlook them."

Graunt

Dryden.

She without noise will oversee His children and his family. To entertain a guest, with what a care Would he his household ornaments prepare ; Harass his servants, and as o'erseer stand, To keep them working with a threat'ning wand. Clean all my plate, he cries.

Id.

A reformer of Luther's temper and talents would, in five years, persuade the people to compel the parliament to abolish tithes, to extinguish pluralities, to enforce residence, to confine episcopacy to the overseeing of dioceses, to expunge the Athanasian Creed from our Liturgy, to free Dissenters from test acts, and the ministers of the Establishment from sub

scription to human articles of faith. Bp. Watson.

OVERSET, v. a. Over and set. To turn bottom upwards; to throw off the basis; to subvert; to disorder.

The tempests met,
The sailors mastered, and the ship o'er-set.

Dryden.

horrible perturbation, even when there is not the least breath of wind; oversetting ships in the harbours, and sinking them. Woodward.

Would the confederacy exert itself as much to annoy the enemy, as they do for their defence, we might bear them down with the weight of our armies, and over-set the whole power of France. Addison.

Nature in arms, her elements at strife, The storms, that overset the joys of life, Are but his rods to scourge a guilty land, And waste it at the bidding of his hand. Cowper. OVERSHADE', v. a. Over and shade. To cover with any thing that causes darkness.

Dark cloudy death o'er-shades his beams of life, And he nor sees, nor hears us. Shakspeare. No great and mighty subject might eclipse or overshade the imperial power.

Bacon.

If a wood of leaves o'ershade the tree, In vain the hind shall vex the threshing floor, For empty chaff and straw will be thy store.

Dryden.

Should we mix our friendly talk O'ershaded in that favorite walk; Both pleased with all we thought we wanted.

Prior. OVERSHADOW, v. a. Over and shadow. To throw a shadow over any thing; to shelter; to cover with superior influence.

Weeds choak and over-shadow the corn, and beat it down, or starve and deprive it of nourishment.

Death,

Bacon.

honour, than the book wherein he carefully owns his over-sights and sincerely condemneth them? Hooker's Preface.

They watch their opportunity to take advantage of their adversaries' over-sight. Kettlewell.

Not so his son, he marked this over-sight, And then mistook reverse of wrong for right.

OVERSIZE', v. a.

Pope.

Over and size. To surpass in bulk: a compost with which masons cover walls; to plaster over.

Those bred in a mountainous country, over-size those that dwell on low levels. Sandy's Journey. He, thus over-siz'd with coagulate gore,

Old grandsire Priam seeks. Shakspeare. Hamlet. OVERSKIP', v. a. Over and skip. To pass by leaping; to pass over; to escape.

Presume not, ye that are sheep, to make yourselves guides of them that shall guide you; neither seek ye to over-skip the fold, which they about you have pitched. Hooker.

Mark if to get them she o'er-skip the rest, Mark if she read them twice, or kiss the name.

Donne.

When that hour o'er-skips me in the day, Wherein I sigh not, Julia, for thy sake; The next ensuing hour some foul mischance Torment me.

Shakspeare. Two Gentlemen of Verona. Who alone suffers, suffers most i' th' mind; But the mind much sufferance does o'er-skip, When grief hath mates and bearing fellowship Shakspeare. OVERSLIP', v. n. Over and slip. To pass undone, unnoticed, or unused; to neglect.

The carelessness of the justices in imposing this rate, or the negligence of the constables in collecting it, or the backwardness of the inhabitants in paying the same, over-slipped the time. Carew.

He that hath over-slipped such opportunities is to bewail and retrieve them betimes.

Hammond.

It were injurious to over-slip a noble act in the duke during this employment, which I must celebrate above all his expences.

Wotton.

OVERSNOW', x. a. Over and snow.

cover with snow.

head.

Το

These I wielded while my bloom was warm, Ere age unstrung my nerves, or time o'er-snowed my Dryden's Eneis. OVERSOLD', part. From oversell. Sold at too high a price.

Life with ease I can disclaim, And think it over-sold to purchase fame. Dryden. OVERSOON', adv. Over and soon. Too

soon.

The lad may prove well enough, if he over-soon think not too well of himself, and will bear away that he heareth of his elders. Sidney.

OVERSPENT', part. Over and spend. Wearied; harassed; forespent. The verb overspend is not used.

Thestylis wild thyme and garlick beats, For harvest hinds, o'er-spent with toil and heats. Dryden. OVERSPREAD', v. a. Over and spread. To cover over; to fill; to scatter over.

Of the three sons of Noah was the whole earth overspread. Genesis ix. 19. Whether they were Spaniards, Gauls, Africans, Goths, or some other which did overspread all Christendom, it is impossible to affirm. Spenser.

Over and strain.

Hale.

To

OVERSTRA'IN, v. n. make too violent efforts. He wished all painters would imprint this lesson deeply in their memory, that with over-straining and earnestness of finishing their pieces, they often did them more harm than good. Dryden's Dufresnoy. Crassus lost himself, his equipage, and his army, by over-straining for the Parthian gold. Collier.

OVERSTRAIN, v. a. To stretch too far. Confessors were apt to over-strain their privileges, in which St. Cyprian made a notable stand against them. Ayliffe.

OVERSWAY', v. a. Over and sway.

over-rule; to bear down.

Overt and apparent virtues bring forth praise but there be secret and hidden virtues that bring forth fortune; certain deliveries of a man's self. Bacon.

My repulse at Hull was the first overt essay to be made how patiently I could bear the loss of my kingdoms. King Charles.

The design of their destruction may have been projected in the dark; but, when all was ripe, their enemies proceeded to so many overt acts in the face of the nation, that it was obvious to the meanest. Swift. Whereas human laws can reach no farther than to restrain the overt action, religion extends to the motions of the soul. Rogers. OVERTAKE', v. a. From over and take. To catch any thing by pursuit; to come up to something going before; to take by surprise.

The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. Exodus xv. 9.

If a man be over-taken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekGalatians vi. 1.

ness.

We durst not continue longer so near her confines, lest her plagues might suddenly over-take us before we did cease to be partakers with her sins. Hooker.

If I had given you this at over night, She might have been o'ertaken; and yet she writes Pursuit would be but vain. Shakspeare.

My soul, more earnestly released, Will out-strip hers; as bullets flown before A latter bullet may o'er-take, the powder being more. To thy wishes move a speedy pace,

Donne.

Or death will soon o'er-take thee in the chace. Dryden. How must he tremble for fear vengeance should over-take him, before he has made his peace with God! Rogers.

If it fall out, that through infirmity we be overtaken by any temptation, we must labour to rise again, and turn from our sin to God by new and speedy repentance.

Perkins. OVERTASK, v. a. Over and task. To burden with too heavy duties or injunctions. because they were overtasked. That office is performed by the parts with difficulty Harvey. OVERTAX', v. a. Over and tax. To tax too

When they are the major part of a general assembly, then their voices, being more in number, must over-sway their judgments who are fewer.

Hooker. Great command o'er-sways our order. Shakspeare. Some great and powerful nations over-sway the Heylyn. Over and swell. To

rest.

OVERSWELL', v. a.

rise above.

Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'cr-swell the cup. I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

Shakspeare. When his banks the prince of rivers, Po, Doth over-swell, he breaks with hideous fall.

Fairfax. OVERT, adj. Fr. ouvert. Open; public; apparent.

To vouch this, is no proof,

Without more certain and more overt test,
Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods.
Shakspeare.

OVERTHROW', v. a. & n. s.

Over and throw. To turn up side down; to throw down; to demolish; to conquer, destroy, or subvert: the noun follows these significations.

God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. Proverbs.

Thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing.

Ecclus. xiii. 13. Our endeavour is not so much to overthrow them with whom we contend, as to yield them reasonable Hooker.

causes.

Of those christian oratories, the overthrow and ruin is desired, not by infidels, pagans, or Turks, but by a special refined sect of Christian believers. Id. Here Glo'ster

O'er-charging your free purses with large fines, That seeks to overthrow religion. Shakspeare.

His overthrow heaped happiness upon him; For then, and not till then, he felt himself, And found the blessedness of being little. Id. From without came to mine eyes the blow, Whereto mine inward thoughts did faintly yield;

We whisper, for fear our overthwart neighbours should hear us, and betray us to the government. Dryden.

The brawn of the thigh shall appear, by drawing small hair strokes from the hip to the knee shadowed again over-thwart. Peacham on Drawing.

OVERTOP', v. a. Over and top. To rise

above to raise the head above; to excel; to surpass; obscure, or make of less importance by superior excellence.

Who ever yet
Have stood to charity and displayed the effects
Of disposition gentle, and of wisdom
er-topping woman's power?

Id. Hamlet.

Shakspeare. Henry VIII. Pile your dust upon the quick and dead, T'o'er-top old Pelion, or the skyish head Of blue Olympus. Whereas he had been heretofore an arbiter of Europe, he should now grow less, and be overtopped by so great a conjunction. Bazon.

As far as the soul o'er-tops the body, so far its pains, or rather mournful sensations, exceed those of the carcase. Harvey.

In the dance the graceful goddess leads
The quire of nymphs and over-tops their heads.

One whom you love,

Had champion killed, or trophy won, Rather than thus be overtopt,

Dryden.

Would you not wish his laurels cropt? Swift.

OVERTRIP, v. u. Over and trip. To trip

over; to walk lightly over.

In such a night.

Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew,
And saw the lion's shadow ere himself,
And ran dismayed away.

Shakspeare. Merchant of Venice.

But he comes round about again, and overturns Lesley. every stone that he had laid.

If we will not encourage publick works of beneficence, till we are secure that no storm shall overturn what we help to build; there is no room left for charity.

Atterbury.

Rowe.

A monument of deathless fame, A woman's hand overturns. I have brought before you a robber of the publick treasure, an overturner of law and justice, and the destruction of the Sicilian province. Swift. OVERVALUE, v. a. Over and value. To rate at too high a price.

We have just cause to stand in some fear, lest by thus over-valuing their sermons they make the price and estimation of scripture, otherwise notified, to fall, Hooker.

To over-value human power is likewise an argument of human weakness. Holyday. OVERVEIL', v. c. Over and veil.

cover.

The day begins to break, and night is fled; Whose pitchy mantle over-veiled the earth.

Το

Shakspeare. OVERVOTE', v. a. Over and vote. To con

quer by plurality of votes.

The lords and commons might be content to be over-voted by the major part of both houses, when they had used each their own freedom.

King Charles.