"overwrite" meaning in English

See overwrite in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/ [UK], /oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav Forms: overwrites [plural]
Etymology: From over- + write. Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|over|write}} over- + write Head templates: {{en-noun}} overwrite (plural overwrites)
  1. (computing) The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it. Categories (topical): Computing
    Sense id: en-overwrite-en-noun-gTm4HRZJ Categories (other): Terms with Dutch translations Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 8 40 8 33 Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Verb

IPA: /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/ [UK], /oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav Forms: overwrites [present, singular, third-person], overwriting [participle, present], overwrote [past], overwritten [participle, past]
Etymology: From over- + write. Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|over|write}} over- + write Head templates: {{en-verb|||overwrote|overwritten}} overwrite (third-person singular simple present overwrites, present participle overwriting, simple past overwrote, past participle overwritten)
  1. (transitive, computing) To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it. Tags: transitive Categories (topical): Computing Translations (destroy old data): oorskryf (Afrikaans), перазапі́сваць (pjerazapísvacʹ) [imperfective] (Belarusian), перазапіса́ць (pjerazapisácʹ) [perfective] (Belarusian), sobreescriure (Catalan), přepsat (Czech), overschrijven (Dutch), écraser (French), überschreiben (German), skrifa yfir (Icelandic), sovrascrivere (Italian), 上書き (uwagaki) (alt: うわがき) (Japanese), iwwerschreiwen (Luxembourgish), subrescriure (Occitan), espotir (Occitan), nadpisywać [imperfective] (Polish), nadpisać [perfective] (Polish), sobrescrever (Portuguese), suprascriere de date [feminine] (Romanian), перезапи́сывать (perezapísyvatʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), перезаписа́ть (perezapisátʹ) [perfective] (Russian), sobrescribir (Spanish), planchar (Spanish), skriva över (Swedish), перезапи́сувати (perezapýsuvaty) [imperfective] (Ukrainian), перезаписа́ти (perezapysáty) [perfective] (Ukrainian), ghi đè (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-overwrite-en-verb-yWkiquEi Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences Disambiguation of 'destroy old data': 91 6 0 3
  2. (transitive) To cover in writing; to write over the top of. Tags: transitive Categories (topical): Writing
    Sense id: en-overwrite-en-verb-nfFaRgd0 Disambiguation of Writing: 7 5 56 3 29 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with over-, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Afrikaans translations, Terms with Belarusian translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Luxembourgish translations, Terms with Occitan translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations, Terms with Vietnamese translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 14 12 44 3 27 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with over-: 16 16 31 20 17 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 7 6 50 4 33 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 14 11 42 4 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 12 8 46 4 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Afrikaans translations: 11 7 44 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Belarusian translations: 10 7 44 10 28 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 11 7 44 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 11 9 43 9 28 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 8 40 8 33 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 9 8 45 7 31 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 9 7 41 10 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 11 7 44 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 9 7 52 6 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 10 8 46 7 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Luxembourgish translations: 11 7 44 9 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Occitan translations: 11 7 43 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 10 7 44 9 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 10 7 42 9 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 11 7 44 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 9 7 52 6 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 11 8 45 6 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 11 7 45 9 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 11 7 44 10 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Vietnamese translations: 11 7 44 10 29
  3. (transitive, intransitive) To write too much. Tags: intransitive, transitive
    Sense id: en-overwrite-en-verb-hKEU8VK3
  4. (transitive, intransitive) To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose. Tags: intransitive, transitive
    Sense id: en-overwrite-en-verb-zoT3dSGX Categories (other): Terms with Dutch translations Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 8 40 8 33

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "over",
        "3": "write"
      },
      "expansion": "over- + write",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From over- + write.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "overwrites",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwriting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwrote",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwritten",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "",
        "3": "overwrote",
        "4": "overwritten"
      },
      "expansion": "overwrite (third-person singular simple present overwrites, present participle overwriting, simple past overwrote, past participle overwritten)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Computing",
          "orig": "en:Computing",
          "parents": [
            "Technology",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I accidentally saved my unwanted changes and overwrote the version of the document I wanted to keep.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "id": "en-overwrite-en-verb-yWkiquEi",
      "links": [
        [
          "computing",
          "computing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "destroy",
          "destroy"
        ],
        [
          "data",
          "data"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, computing) To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "af",
          "lang": "Afrikaans",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "oorskryf"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "pjerazapísvacʹ",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "перазапі́сваць"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "pjerazapisácʹ",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "перазапіса́ць"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "sobreescriure"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "přepsat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "overschrijven"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "écraser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "überschreiben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "skrifa yfir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "sovrascrivere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "alt": "うわがき",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "uwagaki",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "上書き"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "iwwerschreiwen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "subrescriure"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "espotir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "nadpisywać"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "nadpisać"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "sobrescrever"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "suprascriere de date"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "perezapísyvatʹ",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "перезапи́сывать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "perezapisátʹ",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "перезаписа́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "sobrescribir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "planchar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "skriva över"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "perezapýsuvaty",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "перезапи́сувати"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "perezapysáty",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "перезаписа́ти"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 6 0 3",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "destroy old data",
          "word": "ghi đè"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "14 12 44 3 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "16 16 31 20 17",
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          "name": "English terms prefixed with over-",
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        {
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          "_dis": "11 7 44 10 29",
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          "_dis": "9 7 52 6 27",
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          "_dis": "11 7 44 10 29",
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          "name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 5 56 3 29",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Writing",
          "orig": "en:Writing",
          "parents": [
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            "Language",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cover in writing; to write over the top of."
      ],
      "id": "en-overwrite-en-verb-nfFaRgd0",
      "links": [
        [
          "cover",
          "cover"
        ],
        [
          "writing",
          "writing"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To cover in writing; to write over the top of."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Richard Rudin, Trevor Ibbotson, Introduction to Journalism:",
          "text": "Many trainees consider that by increasing the length of the piece they will construct a good feature. This is often not the case and overwriting can lead to vague and muddled features that confuse the reader and ultimately lose their interest.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To write too much."
      ],
      "id": "en-overwrite-en-verb-hKEU8VK3",
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To write too much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "10 8 40 8 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1954, Edwin H. Ford, Edwin Emery, Highlights in the History of the American Press: A Book of Readings, U of Minnesota Press, →ISBN, page 367:",
          "text": "The Times of course has to pay the price of encyclopaedism by being often dreadfully overwritten, with long paragraphs connected by motley conjunctions.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, David Novarr, The Lines of Life: Theories of Biography, 1880-1970, Purdue University Press, →ISBN, page 162:",
          "text": "He overwrites constantly, but his detailed and understated one-paragraph description of Monroe's apartment in New York (pp. 216-18) injects high voltage into the de casibus tradition.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1989, Michael O'Neill, The human mind's imaginings: conflict and achievement in Shelley's poetry, Oxford University Press, USA:",
          "text": "That said, the passage just looked at anticipates rather than participates in greatness. It is too adjectival, a stylistic flaw which suggests an insistence more apparent in the ensuing lines (182-91), where one is torn between thinking that Shelley is overwriting and that he is staying close to a feverish intensity.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose."
      ],
      "id": "en-overwrite-en-verb-zoT3dSGX",
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "florid",
          "florid"
        ],
        [
          "purple prose",
          "purple prose"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "overwrite"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
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        "2": "over",
        "3": "write"
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      "expansion": "over- + write",
      "name": "prefix"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "From over- + write.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "overwrites",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
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  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Computing",
          "orig": "en:Computing",
          "parents": [
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            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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        {
          "_dis": "10 8 40 8 33",
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Bruce Middleton, Conducting Network Penetration and Espionage in a Global Environment:",
          "text": "Tab to the number specifying the number of overwrites and enter a number between 1 and 9.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "id": "en-overwrite-en-noun-gTm4HRZJ",
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        [
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          "destroy"
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        [
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          "data"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computing) The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "overwrite"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with over-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Afrikaans translations",
    "Terms with Belarusian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Occitan translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
    "en:Writing"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "over",
        "3": "write"
      },
      "expansion": "over- + write",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From over- + write.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "overwrites",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwriting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwrote",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "overwritten",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "",
        "3": "overwrote",
        "4": "overwritten"
      },
      "expansion": "overwrite (third-person singular simple present overwrites, present participle overwriting, simple past overwrote, past participle overwritten)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Computing"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I accidentally saved my unwanted changes and overwrote the version of the document I wanted to keep.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "computing",
          "computing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "destroy",
          "destroy"
        ],
        [
          "data",
          "data"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, computing) To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cover in writing; to write over the top of."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cover",
          "cover"
        ],
        [
          "writing",
          "writing"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To cover in writing; to write over the top of."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Richard Rudin, Trevor Ibbotson, Introduction to Journalism:",
          "text": "Many trainees consider that by increasing the length of the piece they will construct a good feature. This is often not the case and overwriting can lead to vague and muddled features that confuse the reader and ultimately lose their interest.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To write too much."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To write too much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1954, Edwin H. Ford, Edwin Emery, Highlights in the History of the American Press: A Book of Readings, U of Minnesota Press, →ISBN, page 367:",
          "text": "The Times of course has to pay the price of encyclopaedism by being often dreadfully overwritten, with long paragraphs connected by motley conjunctions.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, David Novarr, The Lines of Life: Theories of Biography, 1880-1970, Purdue University Press, →ISBN, page 162:",
          "text": "He overwrites constantly, but his detailed and understated one-paragraph description of Monroe's apartment in New York (pp. 216-18) injects high voltage into the de casibus tradition.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1989, Michael O'Neill, The human mind's imaginings: conflict and achievement in Shelley's poetry, Oxford University Press, USA:",
          "text": "That said, the passage just looked at anticipates rather than participates in greatness. It is too adjectival, a stylistic flaw which suggests an insistence more apparent in the ensuing lines (182-91), where one is torn between thinking that Shelley is overwriting and that he is staying close to a feverish intensity.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "florid",
          "florid"
        ],
        [
          "purple prose",
          "purple prose"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "af",
      "lang": "Afrikaans",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "oorskryf"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "pjerazapísvacʹ",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "перазапі́сваць"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "pjerazapisácʹ",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "перазапіса́ць"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "sobreescriure"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "přepsat"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "overschrijven"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "écraser"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "überschreiben"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "skrifa yfir"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "sovrascrivere"
    },
    {
      "alt": "うわがき",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "uwagaki",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "上書き"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "iwwerschreiwen"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "subrescriure"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "espotir"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "nadpisywać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "nadpisać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "sobrescrever"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "suprascriere de date"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "perezapísyvatʹ",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "перезапи́сывать"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "perezapisátʹ",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "перезаписа́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "sobrescribir"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "planchar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "skriva över"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "perezapýsuvaty",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "перезапи́сувати"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "perezapysáty",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "перезаписа́ти"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "destroy old data",
      "word": "ghi đè"
    }
  ],
  "word": "overwrite"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with over-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Afrikaans translations",
    "Terms with Belarusian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Occitan translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
    "en:Writing"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "over",
        "3": "write"
      },
      "expansion": "over- + write",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From over- + write.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "overwrites",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "overwrite (plural overwrites)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Computing"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Bruce Middleton, Conducting Network Penetration and Espionage in a Global Environment:",
          "text": "Tab to the number specifying the number of overwrites and enter a number between 1 and 9.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "computing",
          "computing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "destroy",
          "destroy"
        ],
        [
          "data",
          "data"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computing) The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-overwrite.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Back_ache-overwrite.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "overwrite"
}

Download raw JSONL data for overwrite meaning in English (10.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (9a96ef4 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.