Overshoot vs Overflow - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between overshoot and overflow

is that overshoot is (uncountable) the amount by which something goes too far while overflow is the spillage resultant from overflow; excess.

As verbs the difference between overshoot and overflow

is that overshoot is to go past something; to go too far while overflow is to flow over the brim of (a container).

overshoot

English

Noun

(en noun)

(uncountable) The amount by which something goes too far.

Let's see if we can predict and correct for the overshoot .

(countable, ecology) When the population of a species exceeds its environment's carrying capacity.

Verb

To go past something; to go too far.

When you drive, you must remember to not overshoot the parking space and end up with two wheels over the line.

To shoot beyond; to shoot too far to hit something.

* South

not to overshoot his game

To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond.

(Hartle)

(figurative) To exceed.

to overshoot the truth

(Cowper)

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 ----