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Overflow vs Overblow - What's the difference?

overflow | overblow |

In lang=en terms the difference between overflow and overblow

is that overflow is to be superabundant; to abound while overblow is to exaggerate the significance of something.

As verbs the difference between overflow and overblow

is that overflow is to flow over the brim of (a container) while overblow is to cover with blossoms or flowers or overblow can be (obsolete) to blow over; pass over; pass away.

As a noun overflow

is the spillage resultant from overflow; excess.

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 ----

    overblow

    English

    Etymology 1

    From .

    Verb

  • To cover with blossoms or flowers.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) overblowen, equivalent to .

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To blow over; pass over; pass away.
  • * 1610 , , act 2 scene 2
  • *:But art thou not drown'd, Stephano? I hope now thou are / not drown'd. Is the storm overblown ?
  • To blow hard or with much violence.
  • To blow over or across.
  • To blow away; dissipate by or as by wind.
  • To exaggerate the significance of something.
  • * 2006 , Jock Lauterer, Community Journalism: Relentlessly Local
    • if you do print the DUI story and sensationalize and overblow it
  • (music) To blow a wind instrument hard to produce a higher pitch than usual.
  • * 1909 , Leander Jan Bekker, Stokes' Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians
    • The upper octaves of the flute's compass are produced by overblowing .

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