overground
/ˈəʊvəɡraʊnd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈəʊvərɡraʊnd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈəʊ.və.ɡraʊnd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈoʊ.vɚˌɡraʊnd/ (ame, ipa)
overground — adjective
- overgroundpositive
- more overgroundcomparative
- most overgroundsuperlative
1. located on the ground or higher, rather than in a tunnel or under the soil.
located on the ground or higher, rather than in a tunnel or under the soil.
Workers left the new water pipes overground until the trench was ready.
pattern: overground + pipe/cable/track
From the hill, Valentina could see the overground railway crossing the fields.
The museum kept the wartime bunker entrance overground for visitors to find.
After the storm, crews checked whether any overground wires had fallen.
An overground footbridge links the school to the sports centre.
- aboveground
very close in meaning, but more common in technical or environmental writing
- surface
stresses being at ground level, not necessarily raised or fully exposed
- underground
below the surface of the earth or inside tunnels
- subterranean
more formal and often used in scientific or literary contexts
文法句型
overground + pipe/cable/track
overground + bridge/crossing
用法筆記
Most often used before nouns like cable, line, pipe, bridge, or crossing. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about public visibility and social acceptance rather than physical position.
2. existing openly within normal public life, not hidden away or treated as outside
existing openly within normal public life, not hidden away or treated as outside the accepted system.
By the 1990s, the music scene had become fully overground and commercial.
become overground = move into the mainstream
What started as pirate radio is now an overground business with sponsors.
Jude prefers overground politics to the secret deals older leaders made.
The fashion style moved from small clubs into overground youth culture.
After the licence was approved, the group looked more overground to investors.
- mainstream
focuses on broad public acceptance rather than legality
- legitimate
stresses lawful or officially recognized status
- open
emphasizes visibility, but not always acceptance by the wider culture
- underground
hidden, unofficial, or operating outside public approval
- illicit
focuses more strongly on illegality than on secrecy
文法句型
become overground
overground + business/politics/culture
用法筆記
Often used for music, politics, or business that has moved into accepted public life. Distinguish from sense 1, which only describes something being physically above ground.
常見錯誤
overground — noun
1. a British rail service whose trains run in the open air instead of through under
a British rail service whose trains run in the open air instead of through underground tunnels.
Kabir takes the Overground from Richmond to school every weekday.
pattern: take the Overground
The overground platform was crowded because two evening trains were delayed.
collocation: overground platform / overground train
Tourists used the overground to reach the football ground after lunch.
A map by the ticket gate shows where the overground meets the tube.
When the signal failed, Feng waited twenty minutes for the next overground train.
- surface rail
a descriptive transport term, not usually the name passengers use day to day
- commuter rail
broader term for suburban rail services, not specifically urban overground lines
- underground
a rail system that runs mainly below street level in tunnels
- tube
common British term for the London Underground rather than above-ground rail lines
文法句型
take the Overground
overground + train/platform
用法筆記
Usually refers to a named urban rail service in Britain, especially London Overground. Distinguish from underground or the Tube, whose trains run mainly in tunnels.