Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To cover (something) with writing.
  • intransitive verb To write about in an artificial or an excessively elaborate, wordy style.
  • intransitive verb To destroy or lose (old data) by recording new data over it.
  • intransitive verb To record (new data) on top of already stored data, thus destroying the old data.
  • intransitive verb To write artificial, excessively elaborate, or wordy prose.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To write over some other writing, or to cover, as a manuscript, with other writing.
  • To superscribe; entitle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb computing To destroy old data by recording new data over it.
  • verb To cover in writing.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb write new data on top of existing data and thus erase the previously existing data

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From over- +‎ write.

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Examples

  • For shareholders, selling calls can be an "overwrite" strategy that generates income and sets up a potential exit from the stock.

    House Money: 2010

  • Goldman Sachs derivatives strategists this week recommended such an "overwrite" strategy for shares in home-improvement twins Lowe's and

    'Fear Gauge' Is Seen Calming 2010

  • Take part in a social music sharing event with a difference - in CD-Recycled 45rpm Aleks Kolkowski uses his vintage record cutter to 'overwrite' existing data and cut grooves on CDs/DVDs so they can be played on a turntable.

    Boing Boing 2008

  • Truth to tell, I wanted to edit and polish it a bit more but was afraid of two things: first, given my workload, I might not have enough time; and second, that I might 'overwrite'.

    go, story, go Dean Francis Alfar 2005

  • There is a overloaded parameter calledd "overwrite", set this to true, for example:

    ASP.NET Forums 2010

  • I did use Resco Explorer in my initial attempts and managed to "overwrite" files from the rom, but the drivers are just not functioning that way.

    MoDaCo WinMo News 2009

  • I did use Resco Explorer in my initial attempts and managed to "overwrite" files from the rom, but the drivers are just not functioning that way.

    MoDaCo WinMo News 2009

  • To offset any anticipated negative impacts to gold and silver prices, investors can "overwrite" their iShares Silver Trust (SLV) with out-of-the-money call options that expire in January.

    unknown title 2009

  • I did use Resco Explorer in my initial attempts and managed to "overwrite" files from the rom, but the drivers are just not functioning that way.

    MoDaCo WinMo News 2009

  • I did use Resco Explorer in my initial attempts and managed to "overwrite" files from the rom, but the drivers are just not functioning that way.

    MoDaCo WinMo News 2009

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