Overquotes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Using more quoted material from a source than is necessary or appropriate, so that the quotations overwhelm the writer's own text
2. Citing passages from others too frequently or at excessive length, leaving little room for original analysis or commentary
3. Repeating or reproducing too many quotations from a text or speaker, which can crowd out the original argument being made

Etymology: "Overquotes" is the third-person singular present form of "overquote," a verb meaning to quote too much. The verb is built from the prefix "over-," meaning excessively or beyond what is right, attached to "quote." The base word "quote" comes from the Medieval Latin "quotare," meaning to divide into numbered chapters or verses, which is a useful reminder that quoting began as a way of marking and referencing passages. "Over-" has been used this way in English for centuries, producing many parallel formations such as "overeat" and "overwork," and "overquote" follows that same pattern: take a familiar verb, add the prefix, and the result describes doing the action beyond the proper measure.