overwalk

Etymology

From over- + walk.

Why this word is great

OVERWALK — [Noun, Verb] (noun) An elevated walkway or bridge allowing passage over an obstacle or between buildings; (verb) to walk over or upon something, or to walk past without noticing. From over- ("above, across") + walk ("to move on foot"). Unlike "catwalk" (which narrows to industrial or theatrical stages) or "overpass" (which prioritizes vehicular crossings), an overwalk is a pedestrian’s quiet dominion—a suspended ribbon of concrete or wood stitching landscapes together. It is the creaking boardwalk through marsh reeds at dawn, the glass-enclosed skybridge between corporate towers humming with artificial light, the forgotten footpath overgrown with ivy where no one stops to look down. To overwalk is to traverse without touching the earth, or worse, to stride blindly over what lies beneath.

noun

  1. A pedestrian bridge or elevated walkway that allows one to walk over a road, stream, or other obstacle, or between the upper stories of buildings.“Ground was broken for a new Central Library Building in Birmingham, Alabama, to cost $8,300,000, including an overwalk connection to the existing building across the street.”
  2. An elevated walkway that provides passage above the main area of a facility; a catwalk.“Note safety handrails on overwalk across conveyor system.”
  3. A walkway placed slightly above the ground in an ecologically vulnerable location so that pedestrians can walk through the area without causing damage.“Pedestrian traffic over the dune can cause the loss of vegetation anchoring the dune unless a dune overwalk, following the natural contour of the dune, is provided.”

verb

  1. To walk over or upon.“We overwalk the bounds of time, / Yet ne'er forget our younger days, / For in the heart some soft sweet chime / Of feeling's music mutely plays; […]”
  2. To walk past, especially without noticing.“It turned out that we had overwalked the bounds vaguely prescribed by our permit, and according to his statements must have scared a hundred birds, though we had seen never a one.”
  3. To walk excessively; to walk too far or too quickly.“If it please our adorable Master that I come, I will be sure not to overwalk myself , and take the best care I can not to exceed either in length, or in exertion of voice.”
  4. To take on too many walks, or cause to walk too far or too quickly.“Moreover by placing a slight load on the men the present tendency of the men to overwalk the laden mules on level ground or down hill slopes, would be reduced.”
  5. To overtake while walking; to walk faster than“I accosted him with all the Distance and Regard that I thought was due to his Character; and, indeed, his Deportment and Reply was decent and genteel, he was bound for Northampton as well as myself, he told me, and, provided I would not overwalk him, would gladly embrace the Benefit of my Company.”
  6. To walk on too much.“Spain has the overwalked Camino plus more exciting walking in its mountain ranges, including the Pyrenees, the limestone Picos de Europa and the Sierra Nevada near Grenada, where Moorish influences are evident in the whitewashed villages.”