overstuffed

English

WOTD – 12 September 2017

Etymology

An overstuffed armchair (sense 2) by the American furniture manufacturer La-Z-Boy

over- +‎ stuffed.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvəstʌft/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊvɚstʌft/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: over‧stuffed

Adjective

overstuffed (comparative more overstuffed, superlative most overstuffed)

1. Filled beyond capacity.
   • 1822, “a relative” [possibly William Thomas Brande], “The Life of John Stewart, Esq.”, in The Life and Adventures of the Celebrated Walking Stewart: Including His Travels in the East Indies, Turkey, Germany, & America, London: Printed for E. Wheatley, English and foreign bookseller, 10, Ryder's Court, Leicester Square; by J. Davy, 17, Queen Street, Seven Dials, →OCLC, page 13:

     […] Mr. [John "Walking"] Stewart used to observe, that the deplorable effect of too much book learning is to deprive man of self-examination, through an over-stuffed memory, which prevents the exercise of the faculties of imagination, judgment, and reflection, and to make conscience depend on the will of others, and not on self-knowledge; […]

   • 1870, [Frank Lee Benedict], “At Tamarack Lake”, in Miss Van Kortland. A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, publishers, Franklin Square, →OCLC, page 90, column 1:

     He was so round and fat that his stomach looked like an overstuffed dumpling, with his waistcoat for a crust, and his mouth was drawn down at the corners in a plaintive way, which contrasted oddly with the fun that twinkled in his eyes.

   • 1876, Jackson S[mith] Schultz, “Currying and Finishing”, in The Leather Manufacture in the United States; a Dissertation on the Methods and Economies of Tanning, New York, N.Y.: “Shoe and Leather Reporter” Office, →OCLC, page 223:

     It may be asked why soak with warm water at all, on this theory? Why not soak with oil and tallow exclusively? The answer is because the oil, under such circumstances, will "slough" off, but if water not exceeding 110 degrees in heat be applied it will drive the oil from the surface and modify that greasy feeling and untidy appearance which attaches to over stuffed leather. Over stuffed leather can also be cured of its defects by being immersed in hot water to the extent above indicated.

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 68:

     Bradly served him a handsome allowance, and Podson was at it, even in the process of its being served. He guzzled shamelessly, pushing food into an overstuffed mouth, his eye glazed to all intrusion on a gastric debauch.

   • 2012 July 12, Sam Adams, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 25 March 2014:

     On paper, [Ice Age:] Continental Drift boasts a jaw-dropping voice cast, including but not limited to Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Ansari, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Alan Tudyk. But in practice, the overstuffed ensemble leaves the cast no room to distinguish themselves, and directors Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier don't seem interested in coaxing performances that might render their money stars less identifiable.

2. Of a piece of upholstered furniture, such as a chair or sofa: Covered completely and deeply with upholstery or overstuffing.
   • 1995, Richard Powers, Galatea 2.2, New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, →ISBN, page 33:

     We furnished our first nest with castoffs. Friends alerted us to an overstuffed chair that someone on the far side of the ballpark was, outrageously, throwing out. No three dishes matched. We owned one big-ticket item: a clock radio. Every morning, we woke to the broadcast calls of birds.

Verb

overstuffed

1. simple past and past participle of overstuff.

References

• “overstuffed”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.