overmorrow

English

Etymology

Calque of German übermorgen, from Old High German ubar morgana. First attested in Coverdale's Bible translation of 1535, for which the author is known to have used Martin Luther's version. Cognate with Dutch overmorgen and Middle Low German övermorgen (whence Danish overmorgen and other Scandinavian forms).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊ.vəˌmɒɹəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊ.vɚˌmɔɹoʊ/, /ˈoʊ.vɚˌmɑɹoʊ/
• Rhymes: -ɒɹəʊ

Adverb

overmorrow (not comparable)

1. (archaic) On the day after tomorrow.

   Antonym: (obsolete) ereyesterday

   • 1535, Myles Coverdale, The Byble, that is, the Holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Teſtament, faythfully tranſlated into Englyſhe‎^[1], Tobit 8:4, page D.iiij:

     Thē ſpake Tobias unto the virgin, and ſayde: Up Sara, let us make oure prayer unto God to daye, tomorow, and ouermorow: for theſe thre nightes wil we reconcyle oure ſelues with God: and whan the thirde holy night is paſt, we ſhall ioyne together in y^e deutye of mariage.

     [Then spake Tobias unto the virgin, and said: Up Sara, let us make our prayer unto God today, tomorrow, and overmorrow: for these three nights will we reconcile ourselves with God, and when the third holy night is past, we shall join together in the duty of marriage.]

   • 1925, Parliamentary Debates: Official Report‎^[2], volume 188, H.M. Stationery Off., page iv:

     We can go not overmorrow, but on Thursday.

   • 1969, James Klugman, quoting Bucharin, History of the Communist Party of Great Britain: The General Strike, 1925-1927‎^[3], volume 2, London: Lawrence & Wishart, page 73:

     Sinowjeff and myself go to Caucasus overmorrow.

Translations

on the day after tomorrow — see day after tomorrow

Noun

overmorrow (uncountable)

1. (archaic) The day after tomorrow.

   Antonym: (obsolete) ereyesterday

   • 1898, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, translated by Thos. E. Webb, The first part of the Tragedy of Faust in English, Longmans, Green and Co., page 197:

     My prescient limbs already borrow
     From rare Walpurgis-night a glow :
     It comes round on the overmorrow [translating übermorgen] —
     Then why we are awake we know.

Translations

day after tomorrow — see day after tomorrow

See also

• in three days
• last night
• nudiustertian (of the day before yesterday)
• today
• tomorrow
• tomorrow night
• tonight
• yesterday

References

• “overmorrow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.