overwrite
UK /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪt/ · US /oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪt/ verb, noun
Forms overwrites overwriting overwrote overwritten
- verb (transitive, computing) To destroy (older) data by recording new data over it. “I accidentally saved my unwanted changes and overwrote the version of the document I wanted to keep.”
- verb (transitive) To cover in writing; to write over the top of.
- verb (ambitransitive) To write too much.
- verb (ambitransitive) To write in an unnecessarily complicated or florid way; to produce purple prose.
- noun (computing) The operation of destroying older data by recording new data over it.
Etymology
From over- + write.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “overwrite”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details