A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

outback --- back-country, interior regions of Australia, 1907, Australian Eng., originally an adv., "out in the back settlements" (1878), from out + back.

outboard --- 1823, "situated on the outside of a ship," from out + board (2). In ref. to motors, attested from 1909.

outbreak (n.) --- eruption (of disease, hostilities, etc.), 1602, from out + break (v.).

out-building --- a detached or subordinate building, 1626, from out + building (q.v.).

outburst (n.) --- 1657, from out + burst (q.v.).

outcast (n.) --- c.1300 "a person cast out or rejected," originally pp. of M.E. outcasten, from out + casten "to cast." The adj. is attested from c.1374. In an Indian context, outcaste "one who has been expelled from his caste" is from 1878; see caste.

outclass (v.) --- 1870, "to beat (a rival) so completely as to put him out of the same class," from out + class (q.v.).

outcome (n.) --- 1788, "that which results from something," originally Scottish, from out + come (v.). Popularized in Eng. by Carlyle (c.1830s). Used in M.E. in sense of "the act or fact of coming out."

outcrop --- 1805, in geology, "exposure of rocks at the surface," from out + crop (q.v.) in its sense of "sprout, head."

outcry (n.) --- 1382, "act of crying aloud," from out + cry (q.v.). In metaphoric sense of "public protest," first attested 1911 in George Bernard Shaw.

outdated --- 1616, "grown obsolete," from out + date (q.v.). Out-of-date is attested from 1628.

outdoor (adj.) --- 1748, from out + door. Out-of-door is from c.1800. The adv. outdoors is attested from 1817; as a noun, meaning "open spaces," the word is recorded from 1857. Outdoorsman "one who likes outdoors activities" is from 1958.

outer --- c.1386, comparative of out (on analogy of inner), replacing by 18c. forms descended from O.E. uttera (comp. of O.E. ut "out") which developed into utter and was no longer felt as connected with out. Outer space first attested 1901 in writings of H.G. Wells.

outfield --- 1657, "outlying land of a farm" (especially in Scotland), from out + field; sporting sense is attested from 1851 in cricket, 1868 in baseball.

outfit (n.) --- 1769, "act of fitting out (a ship, etc.) for an expedition," from out + fit (v.). Sense of "articles and equipment required for an expedition" first attested 1787, Amer.Eng.; meaning "a person's clothes" is first recorded 1852; sense of "group of people" is from 1883. The verb is attested from 1840.

outfox --- to outwit, 1962, from out + fox (q.v.).

outgoing --- sociable, friendly, 1950, from out + going; compounded on same notion as in extrovert.

outgrow (v.) --- 1594, "to surpass in growth," from out + grow (q.v.). Meaning "to become too large or too mature for" is attested from 1665.

outhouse --- 1533, "shed, outbuilding," from out + house (q.v.). Sense of "a privy" (principally Amer.Eng.) is first attested 1819.

outing --- airing, excursion, pleasure trip, 1821, from out. Earlier (c.1440) it meant "an act of putting out."

outlandish --- O.E. utlendisc "of a foreign country," from utland "foreign land," lit. "outland" (see out + land). Sense of "unfamiliar, strange, odd, bizarre" (such as the customs of foreigners may seem to natives) is attested from 1596. Outlander in S.African Eng. had a specific sense of "not of Boer birth" (1892) and was a loan-transl. of S.African Du. uitlander.

outlast --- to last longer than, 1573, from out + last (v.).

outlaw (n.) --- O.E. utlaga "one put outside the law" (and thereby deprived of its benefits and protections), from O.N. utlagi (n.) "outlaw," from utlagr (adj.) "outlawed, banished," from ut "out" + *lagu, pl. of lag "law" (see law).

outlay --- act or fact of laying out (especially money) or expending, 1798, originally Scottish, from out + lay (v.).

outlet --- c.1250, originally "a river mouth," from out + let (v.). Electrical wiring sense is attested from 1892. Meaning "a retail store" is attested from 1933.

outline --- 1662, "lines by which a figure is delineated," from out + line (v.). Meaning "rough draft in words" is from 1759. The verb is first attested 1790.

outlive --- to live longer than, 1472, from out + live (v.).

outlook --- mental view or survey, 1742, from out + look (v.). The meaning "prospect for the future" is attested from 1851. The literal sense of "vigilant watch, act or practice of looking out" (1815) is rare; look-out being used instead for this.

outlying --- outside certain limits, 1663, from out + lying. Meaning "remote from the center" is first recorded 1689.

outmoded --- no longer in fashion, out of date, 1903, from out + mode (q.v.), perhaps formed on model of Fr. démoder.

outnumber --- to number more than, 1670, from out + number (v.).

outpatient --- 1715 (n.) "person who is treated at a hospital but not admitted," from out + patient (q.v.). The adj. is first recorded 1879.

outperform --- 1960, from out + perform.

outpost --- 1757, "military position detached from the main body of troops," from out + post (2). Originally in George Washington's letters. Commercial sense of "trading settlement near a frontier" is from 1802. Phrase outpost of Empire (1912) echoes Kipling.

outpouring --- 1757, "action of pouring out," from out + inf. of pour (q.v.). Originally transf., of things spiritual; sense of "that which is poured out" (again, usually transf.) is first recorded 1827.

output (n.) --- 1839, from out and put. Till c.1880, a technical term in the iron and coal trade. The verb is attested from c.1300, originally "to expel;" meaning "to produce" is from 1858.

outrage (n.) --- 1290, "violent behavior, excess, extravagance," from O.Fr. outrage (12c.), earlier oltrage (11c.), from V.L. *ultraticum "excess," from L. ultra "beyond." Etymologically, "the passing beyond reasonable bounds" in any sense; meaning narrowed in Eng. toward violent excesses because of folk etymology from out + rage. Of injuries to feelings, principles, etc., from 1769. The verb is from 1303 in the sense of "to go to excess;" 1590 with meaning "do violence to." Outrageous is from c.1325; modern teen slang usages of it unwittingly approach the original and etymological sense of the word.

outre --- exaggerated, extravagant, eccentric, 1722, from Fr. outré, pp. of outrer "to carry to excess, overdo, overstrain, exaggerate," from outre "beyond" (see outrage).

outreach (n.) --- an organization's involvement in the community, 1870, from out + reach (q.v.). The verb (1568) tends to be used in literal senses.

outrigger --- device used in Pacific and Indian oceans to stabilize canoes, 1748, altered (by influence of rig) from outligger (1481) "a spar projecting from a vessel," probably from the same root as Du. uitlegger, lit. "out-lyer."

outright --- c.1300, of direction, "straight ahead," from out + right (adj. (1)). Meaning "all at once" is attested from 1603.

outset --- act of setting out on a journey, business, etc. 1759, from out + set (v.). The earlier word for this was outsetting (1676).

outshine --- 1596, from out + shine (v.). Fig. sense of "to surpass in splendor or excellence" is from 1612.

outside --- 1505 (n.), "outer side," from out + side (q.v.). The adj. is attested from 1634; the prep. from 1826; the adv. from 1813. Outsider is first attested 1800; fig. sense of "a person isolated from conventional society" is first recorded 1907. The sense of race horses "outside" the favorites is from 1836; hence outside chance (1909).

outskirt --- outer border, 1596, from out + skirt (q.v.). Now only in plural. Originally in Spenser.

outsmart --- to prove too clever for, 1926, from out + smart.

outsource --- in ref. to jobs going overseas, by 1991, from out + source.

outspoken --- given to speaking freely, 1808, originally Scottish, from out + pt. of speak (q.v.).

outstanding --- 1571, "projecting, prominent, detached" (implied in outstand (v.)), from out + stand (v.). Figurative sense of "conspicuous, striking" is first recorded 1830. Meaning "unpaid, unsettled" is from 1797.

outstretch --- c.1366, from out + stretch (q.v.).

outstrip --- 1580, "to pass in running," from out + M.E. strip "move quickly," of unknown origin. Fig. sense of "to excel or surpass in anything" is from 1592.

out-take --- rejected part of a film, 1960, from out + take (q.v.).

outward --- O.E. utweard "toward the outside" (of an enclosure, surface, etc.), earlier utanweard, from ute, utan "outside" (from ut; see out) + -weard "-ward." Of persons, in ref. to the external appearance (usually opposed to inner feelings), it is attested from 1509 (implied in outwardly). Outward-bound "directed on a course out from home port" is first recorded 1602; with capital initials, it refers to a sea school founded in 1941.

outwit --- to get the better of by superior wits, 1652, from out + wit (q.v.).

ouzel --- O.E. osle "blackbird," from W.Gmc. *amslon- (cf. O.H.G. amsala, Ger. amsel), probably from PIE *ams- "black, blackbird" (cf. L. merula "blackbird," Welsh mwyalch "blackbird, thrush," Bret. moualch "ouzel").

ouzo --- liquor flavored with aniseed, 1898, from Mod.Gk. ouzo, of uncertain origin. One theory is that it derives from It. uso Massalia, lit. "for Marsailles," which was stamped on selected packages of silkworm cocoons being shipped from Thessaly, and came to be taken in Gk. for "of superior quality."

oval --- 1570, from M.L. ovalis "egg-shaped" (cf. Fr. oval, 1546), lit. "of or pertaining to an egg," from L. ovum "egg," from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg" (see egg). The classical L. word was ovatus.

Ovaltine --- proprietary name of a drink mix, 1906, probably based on L. ovum (see oval), because eggs are one of the ingredients.

ovary --- 1658, from Mod.L. ovarium "ovary" (16c.), from M.L. ovaria "the ovary of a bird" (13c.), from L. ovum "egg," from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg" (see egg). In classical L., ovarius meant "egg-keeper." Ovarian (adj.) is attested from 1840.

ovate (n.) --- 1723, from assumed L. pl. Ovates, from Gk. Ouateis "soothsayers, prophets," mentioned by Strabo as a third order in the Gaulish hierarchy, from P.Celt. *vateis, pl. of *vatis, cognate with L. vatis, O.Ir. faith, Welsh ofydd. The modern word, and the artificial senses attached to it, are from the 18c. Celtic revival and the word appears first in Henry Rowlands.

ovation --- 1533, from L. ovationem (nom. ovatio) "a triumph, rejoicing," from ovare "exult, rejoice, triumph," probably imitative of a shout (cf. Gk. euazein "to utter cries of joy"). In Roman history, a lesser triumph, granted to a commander for achievements insufficient to entitle him to a triumph proper. Figurative sense of "burst of enthusiastic applause" is first attested 1831.

oven --- O.E. ofen "furnace, oven," from P.Gmc. *ukhnaz (cf. O.Fris., Du. oven, Ger. Ofen, O.N. ofn, O.Swed. oghn, Goth. auhns), from PIE *aukw- "cooking pot" (cf. Skt. ukhah "pot, cooking pot," L. aulla "pot," Gk. ipnos), originally, perhaps, "something hollowed out." The oven-bird (1825) so called because of the shape of its nest. In slang, of a woman, to have (something) in the oven "to be pregnant" is attested from 1962.

over --- O.E. ofer, from P.Gmc. *uberi (cf. O.S. obar, O.Fris. over, O.N. yfir, O.H.G. ubar, Ger. über, Goth. ufar "over, above"), from PIE *uper (see super-). Sense of "finished" is attested from 1399. In radio communication, used to indicate the speaker has finished speaking (1926). Widely used as a prefix in O.E. and other Gmc. langs. Overly "excessively" is from O.E. oferlice. Adjective phrase over-the-counter is attested from 1875, originally of stocks and shares.

over-achiever --- 1953, from over + agent noun of achieve.

overact --- 1611, "to go too far in action," from over + act (q.v.). Meaning "to play a part with too much emphasis, to chew the scenery" is from 1631.

overage --- a surplus amount, 1945, a banking term, coined from over, on model of shortage.

overall --- everywhere, O.E. ofer eall, from ofer "over" + eall "all;" sense of "including everything" is from 1894. Clothing sense (usually plural) of "loose trousers of a strong material worn by cowboys, etc." is from 1782. Specific sense "loose fitting canvas trousers with a bib and strap top" (originally worn by workmen over other clothes to protect them from wet, dirt, etc.) is attested from 1897.

overanxious --- from over + anxious. A hybrid word introduced by novelist Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) in "Pamela."

overawe --- 1579, coined by Spenser from over + awe.

overbear --- 1382, "to carry over," from over + bear (v.). Meaning "to bear down by weight of physical force" is from 1535 (in Coverdale), originally nautical, of an overwhelming wind; fig. sense of "to overcome and repress by power, authority, etc." is from 1565.

overbite --- overlapping of the lower teeth by the upper ones, 1887, from over + bite.

overblown --- 1471, "blown over, passed away," from verb overblow (c.1385), from over + blow. Meaning "inflated, puffed up" (with vanity, etc.) is from 1864.

overboard --- over the side of a ship, O.E. ofor bord, from bord "the side of a ship." Fig. sense of "excessively, beyond one's means" (esp. in phrase to go overboard) first attested 1931 in Damon Runyon.

overbook --- to sell more tickets than there are seats, 1903, from over + book, originally in ref. to theaters.

overburden (v.) --- to put too much weight on, 1532, from over + burden. Earliest uses are figurative.

overcast (adj.) --- 1569, originally pp. of verb overcast (c.1290), "to cover, to overspread" as with a garment, usually of weather, from over + cast (q.v.). Earliest sense of the verb (c.1225) was "to overthrow."

overcharge (v.) --- 1303, "to overload, overburden," from over + charge. Meaning "to charge someone too much money" is from 1667.

overcoat --- large coat worn over ordinary clothing, 1802, from over + coat.

overcome --- O.E. ofer-cuman "to reach, overtake," also "to conquer, prevail over," from ofer "over" + cuman "to come" (see come). A common Gmc. compound (cf. M.Du. overkomen, O.H.G. ubarqueman, Ger. überkommen). In ref. to mental or chemical force, "to overwhelm, render helpless," it is in late O.E. Meaning "to surmount" (a difficulty or obstacle) is from c.1205. The Civil Rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" was put together c.1950s from lyrics from Charles Tindley's spiritual "I'll Overcome Some Day" (1901), and melody from pre-Civil War spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me."

overcompensation --- 1917 in the psychological sense, translating Ger. überkompensation, from over + compensation. A term used by A. Alder to denote exaggerated striving for power in someone who has an inner sense of inferiority.

overconfident --- 1617, from over + confident.

overcrowd --- 1766, from over + crowd.

overdo --- O.E. oferdon "to do too much," from ofer "over" + don "to do." Common Gmc. (cf. O.H.G. ubartuan). Meaning "to overtax, exhaust" (esp. in phrase to over do it) is attested from 1817. Of food, "to cook too long," first recorded 1683 (in pp. adj. over done).

overdose --- 1700 (n.), "an excessive dose," 1727 (v.), "to administer medicine in too large a dose" (trans.), from over + dose. Meaning "to take an overdose of drugs" is first attested 1973.

overdraw --- 1734, in banking sense, from over + draw.

overdrive (n.) --- speed-increasing gear in an automobile, 1929, from over + drive.

overdue --- past the due date, 1845 of bills, 1890 of library books, 1970 of menstrual periods, from over + due.

overeat --- to eat too much, 1599, from over + eat.

over-expose --- 1869, in photography, from over + expose (q.v.). Fig. sense, in ref. to celebrity, first attested 1969 (implied in overexposure).

over-extend --- to take on too much (work, debt, etc.), 1937, from over + extend.

overflow (v.) --- O.E. oferfleow "to flow across, flood, inundate," also "to flow over (a brim or bank)," from ofer "over" + fleow "flow." The noun is attested from 1589.

overgrazed --- of grassland, 1929, from over + pp. of graze (q.v.).

overground (adj.) --- situated above ground (as opposed to underground), 1879, from over + ground (n.).

overgrown --- c.1300, "overspread with foliage," from over + pp. of grow. Meaning "having grown too large" is attested from 1490.

overhand --- 1579, "upside down," from over + hand. Sense in tennis, etc., in ref. to hand position above that which is gripped, is first recorded 1861. Of cricket and baseball throws or bowls, "done with the hand raised above the shoulder" it is first recorded 1828.

overhang --- 1599 (v.), from over + hang (q.v.). The noun meaning "fact of overhanging" is attested from 1864.

overhaul --- 1626, from over + haul (q.v.), originally nautical, "pull rigging apart for examination," which was done by slackening the rope by pulling in the opposite direction to that in which it is pulled in hoisting. The noun is attested from 1826. Replaced overhale in sense of "overtake" (1793).

overhead --- 1532, "above one's head" (adv.), from over + head. The adj. is attested from 1874. As a n., short for overhead costs, etc., it is attested from 1914.

overhear --- to hear what one is not meant to hear, 1549, from over + hear (q.v.). The notion is perhaps "to hear beyond the intended range of the voice." O.E. oferhieran meant "to not listen, to disregard, disobey" (cf. overlook, and M.H.G. überhaeren, M.Du. overhoren in same sense).

overheat --- to make too hot (trans.), 1398, from over + heat (v.). Intrans. sense "to become too hot" is from 1902, originally in ref. to motor engines.

overindulgence --- c.1631, from over + indulgence (q.v.). First attested in Donne.

overjoy (v.) --- 1382, "to rejoice over," from over + joy (q.v.); translating L. supergaudere (in Psalms xxxiv, etc.). Transitive sense of "to fill with gladness" is first recorded 1571 (now usually in pp.).

overkill (n.) --- 1958, from over + kill (v.). Originally in reference to nuclear arsenals; the general sense is from 1965. The verb is attested from 1946.

overlap (v.) --- to partially extend over, 1726, over + lap (q.v.). The noun is attested from 1813.

overlay (v.) --- to cover the surface of (something), c.1300, from over + lay (q.v.). There also was an overlie (c.1175), but it had been merged into this word by 18c. The noun in the printing sense is attested from 1824; meaning "transparent sheet over a map, chart, etc." is from 1938.

overload (v.) --- 1553, "to load with too great a burden," from over + load (q.v.). The noun is attested from 1645; of electrical current, from 1904.

overlook (v.) --- c.1369, "to examine, scrutinize, inspect," from over + look (q.v.). Another M.E. sense was "to peer over the top of." These two literal senses have given rise to the two main modern meanings. Meaning "to look over or beyond and thus not see, to choose to not notice" is first recorded 1524. Seemingly contradictory sense of "to watch over officially, keep an eye on, superintend" is from 1532. Overlooking also was the common term for "inflicting the evil eye on" (someone or something).

overmuch --- too great in amount, 1297, over + much (q.v.). O.E. had cognate ofermicel.

overnight --- c.1374, from over + night (q.v.). Originally "on the preceding evening," gen. sense of "during the night" is attested from 1535. Meaning "in the course of a single night, hence seemingly instantaneously" is attested from 1939.

overpass --- stretch of road that passes over another, 1929, Amer.Eng., from over + pass (v.).

overplay --- to emphasize (something) too much, 1930, a metaphor from card games, in to overplay (one's) hand, "to spoil one's hand by bidding in excess of its value," from over + play (v.).

overpopulate --- 1798, from over + populate (q.v.). First attested in Malthus (in over-populousness).

overpower (v.) --- to overcome with superior power, 1593, from over + power (q.v.).

overprice --- to price (something) excessively high, 1605, from over + price (v.).

overproduction --- 1822, from over + production (q.v.).

overprotection --- 1930, originally in ref. to children, from over + protection (q.v.).

overrate --- 1611, from over + rate (v.).

overreach --- c.1300, "to reach above or beyond" (trans.), from over + reach (q.v.). Meaning "to extend over something, to cover it" is from c.1400. Sense of "to reach beyond one's strength" is from 1568.

over-react --- 1961, from over + react (q.v.). First attested in Lewis Mumford.

override --- O.E. oferridan, from ofer "over" + ridan "to ride" (see ride (v.)). Originally literal, of cavalry, etc. Fig. meaning "to set aside arrogantly" is from 1827. The mechanical sense "to suspend automatic operation" is attested from 1946.

overrule --- rule against; set aside, as by a higher authority, 1593, from over + rule (v.).

overseas --- 1583, from over + sea. Popularized WWI as a British euphemism for "colonial."

oversee --- O.E. oferseon "to look down upon, keep watch over," from ofer "over" + seon "to see" (see see). Meaning "to supervise" is attested from c.1449; overseer "superintendent" is from 1523. The verb lacks the double sense of similar overlook (q.v.), but this emerges in the noun form oversight, which means both "supervision, care management" (c.1300) and "fact of passing over without seeing" (1477).

over-sexed --- 1898, from over + pp. of sex (q.v.).

overshadow --- O.E. ofersceadwian "to cast a shadow over, obscure," from ofer "over" + sceadwian "to shadow" (see shadow); used to render L. obumbrare in N.T. Fig. sense is from 1581.

overshoot --- c.1369, "to shoot, run, or pass beyond (a point or limit)," over + shoot (v.). In ref. to water-wheels, the adj. overshot "driven by water shot over from above" is attested from c.1535.

overspend --- c.1618, "to wear out," from over + spend (q.v.). Meaning "to spend more than is necessary" is attested from 1857.

overstep (v.) --- O.E. ofersteppan, from ofer "over" + steppan "to step" (see step). From the beginning, used in fig. senses.

overstock (v.) --- 1649, from over + stock (v.). The noun is attested from 1710.

overstuffed --- of furniture, "completely covered with a thick layer of stuffing," 1904, from over + pp. of stuff (v.).

overt --- c.1330, "open to view," from O.Fr. overt (Fr. ouvert), pp. of ovrir "to open," from L. aperire "to open, uncover," from PIE *ap-wer-yo- from *ap- "off, away" + base *wer- "to cover" (see weir). Cf. L. operire "to cover," from the same root with PIE prefix *op- "over;" and Lith. atveriu "open," uzveriu "shut."

overtake --- to come up to, to catch in pursuit, c.1225 (implied in pp. ouer-token), from over + take (q.v.).

overthrow (v.) --- c.1330, "to knock down," from over + throw (q.v.). Fig. sense of "to cast down from power, defeat" is attested from c.1374.

overtime --- time above the regular hours of work, 1846, from over + time. Sporting sense first attested 1921, in an ice hockey context.

overtone --- 1867, in literal sense, from over + tone; a loan-translation of Ger. Oberton, first used by Ger. physicist Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821-94) as a contraction of Overpartialton "upper partial tone." Fig. sense of "subtle implication" is from 1890, first attested in writings of William James.

overture --- c.1250, "an introductory proposal," from O.Fr. overture "opening, proposal," from L. apertura "opening," from aperire "to open, uncover" (see overt). Orchestral sense first recorded in Eng. 1667.

overturn (v.) --- c.1225, of a wheel, "to rotate, roll over," from over + turn (v.). Attested from c.1300 in general trans. sense "to throw over violently;" fig. meaning "to ruin, destroy" is from c.1374. Of judicial decisions, "to reverse," it is attested from 1969.