overwrites
|o-ver-writes|
🇺🇸
/ˌoʊvərˈraɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˌəʊvəˈraɪt/
(overwrite)
write on top / replace
Etymology
'overwrite' originates from Old English elements 'ofer' and 'writan', where 'ofer' meant 'over' and 'writan' meant 'to scratch, draw, or write'.
'overwrite' changed from the combination of Old English 'ofer' + 'writan' through Middle English formations and eventually became the modern English verb 'overwrite'.
Initially it meant 'to write over (physically)', and over time it extended to 'replace existing written or stored information' (including data in computing), keeping the core idea of writing on top of something.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instance or act of overwriting (often used in computing to refer to occurrences where data is replaced).
Frequent overwrites can shorten the lifetime of some storage media.
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Verb 1
to write new data or information in place of existing data, thereby replacing or destroying the original.
When you save the file, the new version overwrites the old one.
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Verb 2
to write on top of existing marks or writing (physically or on a label), covering or changing what was there.
He overwrites the label when the contents change.
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Last updated: 2025/12/21 18:47