overrun
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fill or spread over a place in large numbers, often in an annoying or harmful way.
v.to spread over or occupy a place in large numbers; frequently used in the context of pests, weeds, or invading forces.
Simple“The old garden was completely overrun with weeds after months of neglect.”
In context“By mid-summer, the abandoned warehouse had been overrun by rodents, necessitating a professional intervention to secure the site.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to go past a set limit, such as a time or a budget.
v.to exceed a predetermined limit, especially regarding time, budget, or scheduled duration.
Simple“The meeting was supposed to end at noon, but it overran by twenty minutes.”
In context“The construction project overran its original budget by nearly thirty percent due to unforeseen structural issues in the foundation.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the amount by which something goes over its limit.
n.an instance or amount of exceeding a limit, typically in a financial or temporal context.
Simple“The government had to explain the massive cost overrun on the new bridge.”
In context“Despite strict oversight, the project suffered a significant time overrun, pushing the launch date into the following fiscal year.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.an area at the end of a runway where a plane can stop safely if it goes too far.
n.a cleared area of terrain beyond the end of a runway designed to allow an aircraft to decelerate safely in the event of an aborted takeoff or landing roll.
Simple“The pilot managed to stop the plane in the overrun area without any injuries.”
In context“Airport regulations require the overrun to be kept clear of all obstacles to ensure maximum safety during emergency braking maneuvers.”
Synonymssafety areastopway - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.the air that is mixed into ice cream to make it light and soft.
n.the increase in volume of a frozen dessert caused by the incorporation of air during the freezing process.
Simple“Cheap ice cream often has a high overrun, making it feel very light and airy.”
In context“Premium gelato is characterized by a low overrun, resulting in a denser texture and more intense flavor profile than standard commercial ice cream.”
Synonymsaeration
From over- + run.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.