Pronunciation: [ˌə͡ʊvəɹˈʌn] (IPA) 
The word "overrun" is spelled with the letter "o" followed by "v-e-r" and "r-u-n," making it a total of seven letters. In IPA phonetic transcription, "overrun" is pronounced as /oʊ.vər.rʌn/. The "o" in "over" is pronounced as a diphthong sound of "oʊ." The "e" in "ver" is silent, and the "r" in both "ver" and "run" are pronounced with a slight emphasis. The word "overrun" means to overflow or occupy excessively.
Overrun, as a transitive verb, refers to the act of overwhelming or overpowering something or someone by invading or occupying it in large numbers. It commonly implies a forceful or exceeding invasion beyond a certain limit or capacity. It can be used to describe the overwhelming increase or accumulation of a quantity, often resulting in an excess amount. For instance, a town may be overrun by tourists during peak vacation season, indicating that it is swarmed by an unusually large number of visitors that surpasses its normal capacity.
As an intransitive verb, overrun refers to the act of spreading or proliferating beyond a designated area or target. It implies a lack of control or containment, suggesting that something has surpassed its intended boundaries. For example, in warfare, if troops overrun enemy territory, it implies that they have crossed the established borders or lines of defense, conquering or occupying new terrain.
Moreover, overrun can also be used as a noun to describe the excess or surplus quantity of something beyond what was expected or allowed. It signifies that there is an overflow or abundance that goes beyond the desired or anticipated level. In manufacturing, overrun refers to the additional quantity produced that exceeds the specified amount in an order or contract. This surplus production can be beneficial to fulfill unexpected demands or as a measure for quality control.
• To cover all over; to spread over and take possession of; to grow all over or to excess, as noxious plants in a district of country; to rove over in a hostile manner; to ravage; to overflow; in printing, to change the disposition of types by carrying those of one line into another; to extend beyond the previous length by the insertion of new matter, as of a line or column.
• Grown over; ravaged.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "overrun" originated from Middle English "over-ronnen", which came from Old English "oferrunnan". The base word "run" comes from Proto-Germanic "rinnaną". Etymologically, "over" comes from the Old English "ofer", which has the meaning of "across" or "beyond". Therefore, "overrun" originally referred to running across or beyond a certain area or surpassing the expected limits.
