overhaul

over- +‎ haul.

• (Received Pronunciation)
  • (noun): enPR: ōʹvə-hôl', IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvəˌhɔːl/
  • (verb): enPR: ō'və-hôlʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvəˈhɔːl/
• (General American)
  • (noun): enPR: ōʹvər-hôl', IPA^(key): /ˈoʊvɚˌhɔl/
  • (verb): enPR: ō'vər-hôlʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈhɔl/
• (Canada)
  • (noun): enPR: ōʹvər-hôl', IPA^(key): /ˈoʊvɚˌhɑl/
  • (verb): enPR: ō'vər-hôlʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈhɑl/
• Rhymes: -ɔːl

• Audio (US)

  (file)

overhaul (plural overhauls)

1. A major repair, remake, renovation, or revision.
   • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:

     Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […]  But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

   The engine required a complete overhaul to run properly.

2. (firefighting) The process after the fire appears extinguished in which the firefighters search the structure for signs of hot spots that may cause the structure to reignite. Often this includes the process of salvage under the blanket term, salvage and overhaul.

overhaul (third-person singular simple present overhauls, present participle overhauling, simple past and past participle overhauled)

1. To modernize, repair, renovate, or revise completely.
   • 2011, Kat Martin, A Song for My Mother, Vanguard Press, →ISBN, 200:

     In his senior year, he had run across an old '66 Chevy Super Sport headed for the junkyard, bought it for a song, and overhauled it with his dad's help, turning it into the big red muscle car it was back in its day.

   • 2014, Jacob Steinberg, "Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian, 9 March 2014:

     Although they believe they can overhaul their 2-0 deficit, they cannot afford to be as lethargic as this at Camp Nou, and the time is surely approaching when Manuel Pellegrini's faith in Martín Demichelis wavers.

2. To pass, overtake, or travel past.
   • 1967, William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson, Logan's Run, May 1976 Bantam edition, →ISBN, page 109:

     In theory there was a runner ahead of him who would pause to sleep. Who would falter and fall. Who would despair at the size of the desert. Because Logan did none of these he would overhaul the runner and kill him.

3. (nautical) To keep (running rigging) clear, and see that no hitch occurs.
4. (transitive) To search (a ship) for contraband goods.