overstep

Meanings

Verb

• To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
• To take a step in which the foot touches ground too far forward.
• To move with a gait such that the hind foot touches the ground forward of the point where the front foot touches the ground.

Noun

• A gait in which the hind foot touches ground in front of where the front foot touches the ground.
• A movement in which one oversteps.

Origin

• From Middle English *oversteppen, from Old English ofersteppan, from Proto-Germanic *uberstapjaną ("to step over; overstep"), equivalent to over- + step. Cognate with Dutch overstappen, German Low German överstappen, German überstapfen, überstepfen.