Over

prep. [A-S. ofer, ober, O. Sax. obhar, O. Fries. over, ovir, D. & Dan. over, Sw. öfver, Icel. yfir, Goth. ufar, O. H. Ger. ubar, N. H. Ger. über, allied to Skr. upari, Gr. ὑπέρ, Lat. super.]

1. Above, in place or position;—opposed to below; as, the clouds over our heads; the smoke rises over the city. “The mercy-seat that is over the testimony.” Ex. xxx. 6.
2. Across; from side to side;—implying a passing or moving either above the substance or thing, or on the surface of it; as, a dog leaps over a stream, or over a table; a boat sails over a lake.
3. Upon the surface or whole surface; through the whole extent; as, to wander over the earth; to walk over a field, or over a city.
4. Above, denoting superiority in excellence, dignity, or value; as, the advantages which the Christian world has over the heathen. Swift.
5. Above in authority, implying the right or power of superintending or governing;—opposed to under.

Thou shalt be over my house. Gen. xli. 40. I will make thee ruler over many things. Matt. xxv. 23. 6. In a state of watchfulness with respect to; with care, oversight, or concern for. Dost thou not watch over my sin? Job xiv. 16. His tender mercies are over all his works. Ps. cxlv. 9.

7. During the whole time; from beginning to end; as, to keep any thing over night; to keep corn over winter.
8. Above the top of; covering; immersing; as, the water is over the shoes or boots.

☞ Over, in poetry, is often contracted into o'er. “Young Pallas shone conspicuous o'er the rest.” Dryden. ☞ It has always been English usage to say “under one's signature,” as we say, “under one's hand,” “under one's seal.” Some, in this country, have imagined “over one's signature” to be more correct; but they forget that the reference is to the paper containing the instrument or mass of thought to be verified. This is under the hand in signing, as it is under the seal when affixed, though, in either case, the written words may be above. Hence, unless we are ready to say, “over one's hand and seal,” we ought not to say, over one's signature. Mr. Pickering, in his Vocabulary of Americanisms, speaking on this subject, says, “A few of our writers still countenance this unwarrantable innovation; but the principle on which it is defended would unsettle the whole language. The use of the word under, in phrases like those above mentioned, is as well established as any English idiom.” This he goes on to prove by adducing numerous instances from the best English authors. It may be doubted, indeed, whether any writer in Great Britain was ever betrayed into the use of over for under, in such cases. Mr. Hoffman, editor of the New York Literary World, says, in reply to a correspondent, “Had our friend U., of Philadelphia, duly meditated this matter, he never would have sent us a letter with such an unpoetical expression in it as the very common blunder of ‘over the signature.’ As a lawyer, he must, at least, be more or less familiar with the phrase ‘given under’ my hand and seal,” as a true English idiom, albeit the hand and seal (which in this instance constitute ‘the signature’) are placed at the bottom of the document. We do not talk of a vessel sailing ‘over’ the flag of the United States, when her ensigns are sent below at sunset!”