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Brim vs Overflow - What's the difference?

brim | overflow |

In transitive terms the difference between brim and overflow

is that brim is to fill to the brim, upper edge, or top while overflow is to cause an overflow.

As nouns the difference between brim and overflow

is that brim is the sea; ocean; water; flood while overflow is the spillage resultant from overflow; excess.

As verbs the difference between brim and overflow

is that brim is to be full to overflowing while overflow is to flow over the brim of (a container).

As an adjective brim

is fierce; sharp; cold.

brim

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) brim, brym, .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) The sea; ocean; water; flood.
    • Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) brim, brem, .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An edge or border (originally specifically of the sea or a body of water).
  • * Bible, Josh. iii. 15
    • The feet of the priest that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water.
  • The topmost rim or lip of a container.
    • The toy box was filled to the brim with stuffed animals.
  • * Coleridge:
    • Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim / I would remove it with an anxious pity.
  • A projecting rim, especially of a hat.
    • He turned the back of his brim up stylishly.
    (Wordsworth)
    Derived terms
    * to the brim

    Verb

    (brimm)
  • To be full to overflowing.
    • The room brimmed with people.
  • * 2006 New York Times
    • It was a hint of life in a place that still brims with memories of death, a reminder that even five years later, the attacks are not so very distant.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
    • , date=July 3 , author=Piers Newbury , title=Wimbledon 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in final , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Djokovic, brimming with energy and confidence, needed little encouragement and came haring in to chase down a drop shot in the next game, angling away the backhand to break before turning to his supporters to celebrate. }}
  • To fill to the brim, upper edge, or top.
  • * Tennyson:
    • Arrange the board and brim the glass.

    Etymology 3

    Either from (breme), or directly from (etyl) (though not attested in Middle English).

    Verb

    (brimm)
  • Of pigs: to be in heat, to rut.

    • Etymology 4

    See (breme).

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Fierce; sharp; cold.

    • Anagrams

    * * ----

    overflow

    English

    Noun

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

    • Derived terms

    * overflow hole

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To flow over the brim of (a container).
    • The river overflowed the levee.
  • To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.
    • The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.
  • * 1851 , Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
    • 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
  • To cause an overflow. (rfex)
  • To flow over the edge of a container.
    • The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.
  • To exceed limits or capacity.
    • The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.
  • # (computing, ambitransitive) To exceed the available numeric range.
  • Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte.
  • To be superabundant; to abound.
    • (Rogers)

    Derived terms

    * buffer overflow * underflow English heteronyms ----