Overflew

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Travelled through the air above a specific location or object
2. Moved in flight passing directly over something from one side to another
3. Passed in an airborne manner beyond or on top of an area or thing

Etymology: "Overflew" is the simple past of "overfly," so it names the act of passing through the air above something. The verb is built from the prefix "over-" and the verb "fly." Both parts go back to the same ancient roots as their Germanic and English forms, with "over" descending from an Old English "ofer" and "fly" from Old English "flēogan." The "fly" half has a long lineage: it traces back through Proto-Germanic "fleuganą" to a much older Proto-Indo-European root meaning to flow or float. The sense of wings and flight came later, as the Germanic word narrowed from general motion toward moving through the air. Adding "over-" to "fly" produced a verb meaning to pass above a place or object without landing on it, which is the sense "overflew" carries today.

Synonyms: overflowed, spilled

Antonyms: dried, contained