o•ver•take
Pronunciation: (ō"vur-tāk'), [key]
— v., -took, -tak•en, -tak•ing.
—v.t.
- to catch up with in traveling or pursuit; draw even with: By taking a cab to the next town, we managed to overtake and board the train.
- to catch up with and pass, as in a race; move by: He overtook the leader three laps from the finish.
- to move ahead of in achievement, production, score, etc.; surpass: to overtake all other countries in steel production.
- to happen to or befall someone suddenly or unexpectedly, as night, a storm, or death: The pounding rainstorm overtook them just outside the city.
—v.i.
- to pass another vehicle: Never overtake on a curve.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.