overflow

Etymology

From Middle English overflowen, from Old English oferflōwan, equivalent to over- + flow.

noun

1. The spillage resultant from overflow; excess.
2. Outlet for escape of excess material.
3. (computing) The situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range.

verb

1. (transitive) To flow over the brim of (a container).
   The river overflowed the levee.
   Locally heavy rains on the 21st caused more than 2 feet of overflow on Salt Creek at Ashland, Nebr., on the 22d. Some county roads were inundated. Mill Creek which flows into the Platte River at Louisville, Nebr., overflowed its banks from the heavy rain. 1 January 1965, “General Summary of River and Flood Conditions-Continued”, in Climatological Data: National Summary, volume 16, number 1, Asheville, NC: United States Weather Bureau, page 265
2. (transitive) To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.
   The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.
   So when they were working that evening at the pumps, there was on this head no small gamesomeness slily going on among them, as they stood with their feet continually overflowed by the rippling clear water […] 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
3. (transitive) To cause an overflow.
4. (intransitive) To flow over the edge of a container.
   The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.
5. (intransitive) To exceed limits or capacity.
   The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.
   1. (computing, transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) exceed the available numeric range.
      Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte.
6. (intransitive) To be superabundant; to abound.
   I see and feel that I want the first requisite — a heart overflowing with Divine love towards sinners 1857, Eustace Rogers Conder, Josiah Conder: A Memoir