overbear: Meaning and Definition of

o•ver•bear

Pronunciation: (ō"vur-bâr'), [key]
— v., -bore, -borne, -bear•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to bear over or down by weight or force: With his superior strength he easily overbore his opponent in the fight.
  2. to overcome or overwhelm: A spirited defense had overborne the enemy attack.
  3. to prevail over or overrule (wishes, objections, etc.): She overbore all objections to the new plan.
  4. to treat in a domineering way; dominate: to overbear one's children with threats of violence.
  5. (of a sailing ship) to have the advantage of (another sailing ship) because of an ability to carry more canvas safely.
—v.i.
  1. to produce fruit or progeny so abundantly as to impair the health.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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