Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overshoot” come from?

Overshoot comes from English over- plus shoot, which derives from Old English ofer- combined with Proto-Germanic skeutaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewd- meaning to shoot or chase.

overshoot (English): The amount by which something goes too far; When...

Definitions

  1. The amount by which something goes too far; When...

Ancestry of “overshoot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishover-above, or higher; superior; excessively
2Middle Englishover-—
3Old Englishofer-used to form nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs...
4Proto-Germanicuberover; over, above
5Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →