Middle English Dictionary Entry
overrīden v.
Entry Info
| Forms | overrīden v. Also override. Forms: p.sg.3 overrōde, (N) -rade; pl. overridin; ppl. overriden, -ridden & -redin. |
| Etymology | OE oferrīdan |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To ride over or across (a body of water); ride through (countryside, a country); (b) to ride over (sb.) in battle, trample; also, overthrow; (c) ppl. overriden, run over (by a cart, cartwheel), crushed.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)458/58 : Ne kepe ich..nouȝht more of þe i-bide Bote þat ich may in one niȝhte with min Asse ouer-ride.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)47a : When þey come to ryueres or oþer watres þat hadde no brugges ne also myȝt nouȝt be ouerswomme ne ouerride, þan wiþ þilke ropes and chaynes þey frette þilke bootys to gidre..and þereon þey caryed ouer þe wateres þe oost wiþ al her cariage.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)118/17 : And when he had ouerryden the contrey and clensed itt of the mysbelevers, he founde myche people and the londe wele belabored, both of vynes and of corne.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9091 : Þai were ouerriden in a þrawe.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.18 : Bituex vndernon & noen was þe feld alle wonnen, For alle þat wild abide were ouer riden & ronnen.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1415 : Thare was Romayns ouerredyn, and ruydly wondyde.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1430 : The Romaynes þan redyly..al toruscheez oure men..Ouerrydez oure rerewarde and grette rewthe wyrkes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1524 : Thare myghte men see Romaynez rewfully wondyde, Ouerredyn with renkes of the round table.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)22919 : So sore astoned kyng Ryown was..þat non power he hadde to rysen jn þat plas; And Nasciens hym ouerrod [F sen vait outre le cors] twyes or thrye as he on horsbak sat ful egerlye.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)378/10,26 : Þat was hir fals purpos..to ouyr-ryde our meyne at þe first comyng of ham, sodeynly yn the first bront..þanne þeze Frenschmen come prikkyng doun as þei wolde haue ouyr-rydyn alle oure meyne.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)555/4-5 : Þe Duyk..charget euery man to ordeyne hym a stake of tre, sharpet at both endys, and pight an ende asslope in þe ground before hem, that þe Frenshemen shuld not ouerride ham; for thair purpose was to haue ouerriden hem.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)530/25 : Than footehote sir Palomydes cam uppon sir Trystram as he was uppon foote to have overryddyn hym.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)1216 : Mony renke þat he ouer-rade rase neuer aftir.
c
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2022 : The cartere ouerryden [vr. ouyr redyn] with his carte Vnder the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun.
- a1500(c1445) Lydg.Mir.Edmund (Ashm 46)400 : Ovirredyn with a carte-wheel, The chyld oppressyd lay in the streete deed.
2.
(a) To harry (a land), plunder (sb.), vanquish; (b) to demean (sb.), bring low.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4147 : Ȝif sche nickes wiþ nay..I wol þat reaume ouer-ride & rediliche destrue.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4262 : Þat ilke kud kniȝt..nel..ouer-ride þis reaume & redili it destrye.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)16396 : The contre distroyed hit was & ouer-ryden in eche a plas.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1920 : Yf thei last lang, our remys þei sall ouer ryde.
- (1452) Paston (EETS)1.59 : Christofir Bradle, Jon Cokkow, assemblyng and gadderyng to hem gret multitude of mysrewled people..over-ride the contre and oppresse the people, and do many orible and abhomynable dedis lyke to be distruccion of the shire of Norffolk.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)224 : The Kyng of Frauns wrote letteris onto the Kyng of Ynglond, that he schuld help him ageyn the grete cumpanye of Englisch that ovyrrydin Frauns.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)226 : The Frenschmen broke the pees and ovirridin the Kyngis londes in Pounte, distroyed castellis and townes and took many prisoneris.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)206/18 : That is more worshyppe than thus to overryde maysterlesse men.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)231/10 : He hath bene rebell unto Rome and overredyn muche of hir londis.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1211/32 : For and they thus overryde oure londis, they shall by proces brynge us all to nought whyle we thus in holys us hyde.
- a1500 Mirk Fest.Alk.(GoughETop 4)242/28 : A duke of þe Marche and Wales..pursewet þe duke of Wyllschyr and all oþer of þat contrey and destryed hom and ouerrode hom, and so oft-tyme ryfult and pyllet hom.
b
- a1500(a1475) Ashby Dicta (Cmb Mm.4.42)341 : The better [people] he wold euer ouer-ride [L despiciunt] And peruerte al the kynges ordenaunce.
3.
To overtake (sb.), come upon unexpectedly.
Associated quotations
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)88a : He þat is behinde may ouerrenne or ouerryde [L superuenire] by disseyte or gile him þat is bifore.
- c1616(1441) Coucher Bk.Plumptonp.lvi : The souldiers..thought to have overridden & slayne this said forty persons.