Overgrows

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Extends growth to cover or spread over a surface or area excessively
2. Develops in a manner that overtakes and envelops something else by growing beyond limits
3. Increases growth beyond boundaries, often resulting in concealment or domination of an area

Etymology: This is an inflected form, so the answer is brief: "overgrows" is the third-person singular present of "overgrow," a verb built from "over-" and "grow." The prefix descends from Old English "ofer," which has a long Germanic and Indo-European ancestry reaching back to a root meaning "up" or "above," and it has been the English preposition and prefix "over" since Middle English. Combined with "grow," the compound describes plants, or anything else, spreading across a surface until it covers it in excess.

Synonyms: overruns, expands