- a gear that at a certain speed automatically reduces an engine's power output without reducing its driving speed: used to lessen fuel consumption and engine wear
- Informal a state of intensified activity, productivity, etc.
overdrive
o·ver·driveWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"overdrive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive>.
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overdrive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive
overdrive
noun
- A gearing mechanism of a motor vehicle engine that reduces the power output required to maintain driving speed in a specific range by lowering the gear ratio.
- Informal A state of heightened activity or concentration: shifted into overdrive toward the end of the semester.
transitive verb
o·ver·drove, o·ver·driv·en, o·ver·driv·ing, o·ver·drives- To drive (a vehicle) too far or too long.
- To push (oneself) too far, as in the performance of tasks.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"overdrive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive>.
APA Style
overdrive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive
Noun
(usually uncountable, plural overdrives)
- (dated) A gear, on an automobile, higher than the normal top gear.
- A state of heightened activity.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present overdrives, present participle overdriving, simple past overdrove, past participle overdriven)
- To drive too hard, or far, or beyond strength.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"overdrive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive>.
APA Style
overdrive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/overdrive
