From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Overcome \O`ver*come"\, v. t. [imp. Overcame; p. p.
Overcome; p. pr & vb. n. Overcoming.] [AS. ofercuman. See
Over, Come, and cf. Supervene.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To get the better of; to surmount; to conquer; to subdue;
as, to overcome enemies in battle.
[1913 Webster]
This wretched woman overcome
Of anguish, rather than of crime, hath been.
--Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. To overflow; to surcharge. [Obs.] --J. Philips.
[1913 Webster]
3. To come or pass over; to spread over. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
And overcome us like a summer's cloud. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To conquer; subdue; vanquish; overpower; overthrow;
overturn; defeat; crush; overbear; overwhelm; prostrate;
beat; surmount. See Conquer.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Overcome \O`ver*come"\, v. i.
To gain the superiority; to be victorious. --Rev. iii. 21.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
overcome
v 1: win a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties";
"defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He
overcame his infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her
and she blew up" [syn: get the better of, overcome,
defeat]
2: get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his
shyness" [syn: overcome, get over, subdue, surmount,
master]
3: overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli [syn:
overwhelm, overpower, sweep over, whelm, overcome,
overtake]
4: overcome, usually through no fault or weakness of the person
that is overcome; "Heart disease can get the best of us"
[syn: get the best, have the best, overcome]