Over

How to spell over

4 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce over

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does over mean?

1. prepositionExtending directly above, across, or beyond something.
2. adverbIndicating completion, repetition, or movement from an upright position.
3. nounA set of six consecutive deliveries bowled from one end in cricket.

Over in a sentence

• preposition

  A thick fog settled over the entire valley.

• adverb

  Once the exams are over, the students plan to celebrate.

• noun

  The bowler conceded twelve runs in a single over.

• preposition

  She hung the painting over the fireplace.

• adverb

  He made a mistake and had to start the whole report over again.

• noun

  Only one over remained before the lunch break was called.

Where does over come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is one of the oldest words in English, descending directly from the Old English ofer, meaning 'above', 'beyond', or 'across'. It belongs to a large Germanic family and is closely related to the Dutch over and the German ober, all tracing back to a shared Proto-Germanic root that carried the sense of being higher or further. The same ancient root sits behind the Latin super and the Greek hyper, which is why 'over' and 'super' and 'hyper' all express the idea of something on top or in excess. Over the centuries the small word stretched well past its spatial meaning of physical height, taking on senses of completion ('the meeting is over'), repetition ('do it over'), and excess ('over budget'). Because it has always been spelled with the simple o-v-e-r pattern, it rarely troubles writers, though its many uses make it one of the busiest words in the language.

How the word is built

• over (a single native English word, from Old English ofer; no separable prefix or suffix)