Overdraws

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To take out more money from a bank account than the current balance allows
2. Exceeding the available funds in an account by withdrawing beyond the existing balance
3. Removing cash or funds from an account beyond what is presently held, creating a negative balance

Etymology: This word is an inflected form, the third-person singular present of "overdraw," so the real story belongs to its base. "Overdraw" is formed from "over-" and "draw." The "over-" prefix comes from Old English "ofer," which goes back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "above" or "beyond," and the "draw" part descends from Old English "dragan," meaning to pull or drag. Put together, the compound literally means to pull beyond a limit, and that is exactly how a bank account is overdrawn: money is taken out past what is there.

Synonyms: exceed, overextend, overreach

Antonyms: underdraw, limit, restrict