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o·ver·dress

(ō′vər-drĕs)

v. o·ver·dressed, o·ver·dress·ing, o·ver·dress·es

v.intr.

1. To dress oneself more formally or elaborately than appropriate or desirable: When I saw the other guests' casual attire, I knew I had overdressed.

2. To dress oneself too warmly: She left her jacket in the car, realizing she had overdressed for the beach.

v.tr.

1. To dress more formally or elaborately than appropriate or desirable: He overdressed himself by wearing a tuxedo to a casual restaurant.

2. To dress too warmly: The nanny overdressed the children, misjudging how hot the day would be.

n. (ōvər-drĕs′)

A skirted garment, such as a pinafore, worn over other outer clothing.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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