Overstrikes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of printing technique involving the superimposition of characters on top of existing text
2. an action performed to emphasize or correct an error by striking through letters or words
3. a result in text editing marked by overlapping characters to indicate deletion or alteration

Etymology: Strike once meant "to go." In Old English, "strícan" meant to proceed or move along, and the sense of striking a blow came later. The prefix "over" keeps its ordinary meaning of "on top of," so an overstrike is a mark laid across or onto a character that is already there. The technique grew out of the typewriter. A typebar struck an inked ribbon against the paper, so typing a second character in the same position printed one mark on top of another. Typists used this to build accented letters or symbols the machine lacked. "Overstrikes" is simply the plural, counting these individual superimposed marks.