overgrow

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to grow over and cover a surface, place, or other vegetation

   Rushes overgrew the abandoned path beside the marsh.

2. 2
   verb

   to become excessively or densely grown with vegetation

   Without regular pruning, the garden will quickly overgrow.

3. 3
   verb

   to grow beyond a suitable size, boundary, or container

   The roots had overgrown the small pot by early spring.

Formed in English from over- + grow. Its oldest physical senses describe vegetation growing across something or beyond its bounds; the familiar participle overgrown also describes a place densely covered by uncontrolled growth.

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