Overgo

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To go across or over something, or to traverse a distance ; to overcome, overwhelm, or get the better of someone or something
2. Moving past or across a thing, or prevailing over and exceeding an opponent or obstacle ; defeating or outdoing another in strength or achievement
3. Archaically, to travel over or across a space ; to prevail over or outdo a rival or difficulty ; to fade away or cease, as sorrow or a season does

Etymology: In Old English, "ofergān" meant far more than going over something. It covered passing across, transgressing, overrunning, conquering, attacking, and even passing away or ending. The Middle English "overgon" carried this range forward, which is why the older senses of the verb sound so forceful beside its modern, mild-sounding parts: "over" and "go." Its relatives in Dutch ("overgaan") and German ("übergehen") still share the basic idea of crossing over. A quite different word shares the spelling. In molecular biology, "overgo" is a blend of "overlapping" and "oligonucleotide." It names a method in which two short synthetic DNA strands are designed to overlap at their ends. When they anneal and are extended, they form a longer labelled probe, which researchers use to locate matching sequences in genetic material.

Synonyms: surpass, exceed, outdo, overtake, pass

Antonyms: lag, trail