a. [ OF. overt, F. ouvert, p. p. of OF. ovrir, F. ouvrir, to open, of uncertain origin; cf. It. aprire, OIt. also oprire, L. aperire to open, operire to cover, deoperire to uncover. Perh. from L. aperire influenced by F. couvrir to cover. Cf. Aperient, Cover. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Open to view; public; apparent; manifest. Opposite of hidden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Overt and apparent virtues bring forth praise. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Not covert; open; public; manifest; as, an overt act of treason. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. Constitution of the U. S. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In criminal law, an overt act is an open act done in pursuance and manifestation of a criminal design; the mere design or intent not being punishable without such act. In English law, market overt is an open market; a pound overt is an open, uncovered pound. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Overtook p. p. Overtaken p. pr. & vb. n. Overtaking. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To come up with in a race, pursuit, progress, or motion; also, to catch up with and move ahead of. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say . . . Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good. Gen. xliv. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had him overtaken in his flight. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: To surpass in production, achievement, etc.; as, although out of school for half a year due to illness, the student returned and overtook all the others to finish as valedictorian. [ PJC ]

3. To come upon from behind; to discover; to surprise; to capture; to overcome. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a man be overtaken in a fault. Gal. vi. 1 [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall see
The winged vengeance overtake such children. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Hence, figuratively, in the past participle (overtaken), drunken. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To frustrate or render impossible or irrelevant; -- used mostly of plans, and commonly in the phrase overtaken by events; as, their careful marketing plan was overtaken by events. [ PJC ]

v. i. To talk to excess. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To task too heavily. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To tax or to task too heavily; as, a job that overtaxed his physical energies. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. Too tedious. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To tempt exceedingly, or beyond the power of resistance. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of overthrowing; the state of being overthrown; ruin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your sudden overthrow much rueth me. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (a) (Baseball) The act of throwing a ball too high, as over a player's head. (b) (Cricket) A faulty return of the ball by a fielder, so that the striker makes an additional run. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Overthrew p. p. Overthrown p. pr. & vb. n. Overthrowing. ] 1. To throw over; to overturn; to upset; to turn upside down. [ 1913 Webster ]

His wife overthrew the table. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to fall or to fail; to subvert; to defeat; to make a ruin of; to destroy; as, to overthrow a government. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

When the walls of Thebes he overthrew. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Gloucester ] that seeks to overthrow religion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Baseball) To throw (a baseball) beyond; to throw too high and too far; to overshoot{ 1 }; as, the shortstop overthrew the first baseman. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- To demolish; overturn; prostrate; destroy; ruin; subvert; overcome; conquer; defeat; discomfit; vanquish; beat; rout. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cross; to oppose. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]