From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
overrun
n 1: too much production or more than expected [syn:
overproduction, overrun]
v 1: invade in great numbers; "the roaches infested our kitchen"
[syn: infest, overrun]
2: occupy in large numbers or live on a host; "the Kudzu plant
infests much of the South and is spreading to the North"
[syn: invade, overrun, infest]
3: flow or run over (a limit or brim) [syn: overflow,
overrun, well over, run over, brim over]
4: seize the position of and defeat; "the Crusaders overran much
of the Holy Land"
5: run beyond or past; "The plane overran the runway"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Overrun \O`ver*run"\, v. i.
1. To run, pass, spread, or flow over or by something; to be
beyond, or in excess.
[1913 Webster]
Despised and trodden down of all that overran.
--Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Print.) To extend beyond its due or desired length; as, a
line, or advertisement, overruns.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Overrun \O`ver*run"\, v. t. [imp. Overran; p. p. Overrun; p.
pr. & vb. n. Overrunning. ]
1. To run over; to grow or spread over in excess; to invade
and occupy; to take possession of; as, the vine overran
its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass.
[1913 Webster]
Those barbarous nations that overran the world.
--Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. To exceed in distance or speed of running; to go beyond or
pass in running.
[1913 Webster]
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran
Cushi. --2 Sam.
xviii. 23.
[1913 Webster]
3. To go beyond; to extend in part beyond; as, one line
overruns another in length.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its
bearing when its forward end goes beyond it.
[1913 Webster]
4. To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon.
[1913 Webster]
None of them the feeble overran. --Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Print.)
(a) To carry over, or back, as type, from one line or page
into the next after, or next before.
(b) To extend the contents of (a line, column, or page)
into the next line, column, or page.
[1913 Webster]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008) [foldoc]:
overrun
1. A frequent consequence of data arriving faster than it can
be consumed, especially in serial line communications. For
example, at 9600 baud there is almost exactly one character
per millisecond, so if a silo can hold only two characters
and the machine takes longer than 2 milliseconds to get to
service the interrupt, at least one character will be lost.
2. Also applied to non-serial-I/O communications. "I forgot
to pay my electric bill due to mail overrun." "Sorry, I got
four phone calls in 3 minutes last night and lost your message
to overrun." When thrashing at tasks, the next person to
make a request might be told "Overrun!" Compare {firehose
syndrome}.
3. More loosely, may refer to a buffer overflow not
necessarily related to processing time (as in {overrun
screw}).
[Jargon File]
From Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) [jargon]:
overrun
n.
1. [techspeak] Term for a frequent consequence of data arriving faster
than it can be consumed, esp. in serial line communications. For
example, at 9600 baud there is almost exactly one character per
millisecond, so if a silo can hold only two characters and the
machine takes longer than 2 msec to get to service the interrupt, at
least one character will be lost.
2. Also applied to non-serial-I/O communications. "I forgot to pay my
electric bill due to mail overrun." "Sorry, I got four phone calls in
3 minutes last night and lost your message to overrun." When
thrashing at tasks, the next person to make a request might be told
"Overrun!" Compare firehose syndrome.
3. More loosely, may refer to a buffer overflow not necessarily
related to processing time (as in overrun screw).