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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

OWERCOME, v., n. Also owr(e)come, o'ercome. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. overcome. [v. ʌu(ə)r′kʌm, n. ′ʌu(ə)rkəm]

I. v. 1. As in Eng., to overpower, overwhelm, to defeat. Pa.t. owercam. Gen.Sc.

2. To revive, as from sickness (Sc. 1808 Jam.), to recover from. Only dial. in Eng. from early 18th c.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 27:
Sick, sick she grows; syne after that a wee, Whan she o'ercame, the tear fell in her eye.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 22:
I do believe 'twis full a raith Ere we owercam' the blow.

3. As vbl.n. ower-comein, ourcoman, (1) a crossing, a journey across by land or sea (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 121): (2) repetition, refrain. See II. 5.(2) s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell St. Matthew vi. 7:
But whan ye praey, usena vain ower-comein's, as the heathin do.

II. n. 1. A sudden attack of illness (Gall. 1903 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc. Cf. Income, I. 3.Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals xviii.:
Mrs Balquhidder thought that I had met with an o'ercome, and was very uneasy.Fif. 1893 G. Setoun Barncraig xxiv.:
Poor Phloss! this owercome's made an auld man o' him a' at aince.

2. A crossing, voyage over sea. Cf. I. 3. (1).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 121:
We hid a gey ourcome fin we cam haim fae America.

3. Surplus, excess, what is left over (Rxb. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 72). Also attrib. and in n.Eng. dial. Cf. Outcome, 3.Sc. 1706 Sc. Antiquary XII. 101:
They have Sold them for a third more than it coast here, besides a guid piece of ourcome measure.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. i.:
He that has just enough can soundly sleep; The o'ercome only fashes fowk to keep.Rnf. 1754 Session Papers, Cumming v. Cross (6 Aug.) 1:
I shall make up what Paisley Measure wants of Renfrew, if you will deliver me any Overcome of Paisley above Renfrew.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 12:
An when she dies am to pay the earding o' her honestly, and a' the o'ercome is to be my ain.Dmb. 1827 W. Taylor Poems 105:
I selt, and paid whate'er was borrow'd The o'ercome ye kept it sicker.Knr. 1895 H. Haliburton Dunbar 17:
Nae gear is thine save only what thow spends The o'ercome's aften but a fashious joy.

4. Result, upshot, outcome.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie l.:
Heaven only knows what will be the o'ercome o' this visitation.

5. The refrain or burden of a song, a chorus (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Per., Ayr. 1915–23 Wilson; w.Lth., Lnk., Wgt. 1964), a freq. repeated phrase or theme, a saying, dictum (Sc. 1825 Jam., 1897 Stevenson W. of Hermiston viii.). Now mainly poet. Cf. Come, v., 9. (12) (b).Sc. 1814 C. I. Johnstone Saxon and Gael I. viii.:
“The grace o' a grey bunnock is the baking o't.” That was aye her o'ercome.Sc. 1815 W. Glen Remains (1874) 121:
An' aye the owercome o' his sang Was, “Wae's me for Prince Charlie!”Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail iv.:
Wi' the seven-headed beast routing its choruses at every o'ercome o' the spring.Dmf. 1874 R. Wanlock Moorland Rhymes 63:
And as the dear auld owrecome tirl'd atween Han' gruppit han' sae leal.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Songs 22:
He spak but an owercome, dreary and dreigh, A burden whause sang was gane.Fif. 1895 S. Tytler Kincaid's Widow ii.:
That was always the owercome of her tale.Arg. 1912 N. Munro Ayrshire Idylls 302:
He gave the name so soft a turn, it mourned upon his tongue, and moved me like the owercome of a song.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 126:
Miss Celandine has been singin' the o'ercome even on ever since: it was a bonny lilt.Ags. 1932 A. Gray Arrows 82:
And aye the gowk's owercome was heard: Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo.Sc. 1991 John McDonald in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 89:
lowe an tallie yin rummle
(God an chiel plet)
kythin an vainishin aw at yince:
like owrecome an variorum in a pibroch set.

6. One of a series of events or procedures, an item in a programme, etc.Ayr. 1822 Galt Steam-Boat x.:
The doctor, at every new o'ercome o' the ceremony, panted with an apprehension.