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pursuit, progress, or motion; to catch up with. Follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say . . . Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good. Gen. xliv. 4. He had him overtaken in his flight. Spenser.

To overtake. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To overtake. [Obs.] Bacon.

Delayed beyond the usual time; too late; overtaken by night; benighted. "Some belated peasant." Milton. -- Be*lat"ed*ness, n. Milton.

To overtake with night or darkness, especially before the end of a day's journey or task. Some virgin, sure, . . . benighted in these woods. Milton.

pportunities of subverting the state." Addison. -- To catch up with, to come up with; to overtake.

e tackle gently. Totten. -- To come up to, to rise to; to equal. -- To come up with, to overtake or reach by pursuit. -- To come upon. (a) To befall. (b) To attack or invade. (c) To have a claim upon; to become dependent upon for support; as, to come upon the town. (d) To light or chance upon; to find; as, to come u…

To follow closely; to endeavor to overtake; to pursue. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.

to draw back, to retreat; to draw level, to move up even (with another); to come up to or overtake another; to draw off, to retire or retreat; to draw on, to advance; to draw up, to form in array; to draw near, nigh, or towards, to approach; to draw together, to come together, to collect.

To follow; to pursue; to follow and overtake. [Obs.] "Seek peace, and ensue it." 1 Pet. iii. 11. To ensue his example in doing the like mischief. Golding.

kill of the polisher fetches out the colors [of marble]" Addison. -- To fetch up. (a) To overtake. [Obs.] "Says [the hare], I can fetch up the tortoise when I please." L'Estrange. (b) To stop suddenly.

To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. Ex. xiv. 17.

The state or quality of being lazy. Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. Franklin.

Overtaken by night; belated. Beau. & Fl.

To overtake. [Obs.]

To reach; to overtake; to pass. [Obs.]

To gain upon in a chase; to overtake. To overhaul a tackle, to pull on the leading parts so as to separate the blocks. -- To overhaul running rigging, to keep it clear, and see that no hitch occurs.

To overtake. [Obs.] So forth he went and soon them overhent. Spenser.

To follow with a view to overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare. We happiness pursue; we fly from pain. Prior. The happiness of men lies in purswing, Not in possessing. Longfellow.

One who pursues or chases; one who follows in haste, with a view to overtake.