## Meanings
1. To pass another vehicle or person moving in the same direction.
2. To become greater or more successful than something else.
3. To affect someone suddenly and powerfully.

## Examples
- He overtook the slow truck on the motorway.
- Online sales have overtaken those in the stores.
- A feeling of exhaustion overtook her.

## Derived Forms
- overtakable
- overtakeless
- overtaker
- reovertake

## Related Forms
- exceed
- surpass

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: overtaken
- Root: overnimen
- Root: oferniman

## Etymology
From Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take.

## AI Etymology
Overtake comes from Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take. Modern senses include to pass another vehicle or person moving in the same direction and to become greater or more successful than something else. The wider word family includes derivatives such as overtakable, overtakeless, overtaker, and reovertake and related forms such as exceed and surpass.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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