overnight: Meaning and Definition of

o•ver•night

Pronunciation: (adv.ō'vur-nīt'adj., n.ō'vur-nīt&secv.ō&secvur-nīt'), [key]
— adv.
  1. for or during the night: to stay overnight.
  2. on or during the previous evening: Preparations were made overnight.
  3. very quickly; suddenly: New suburbs sprang up overnight.
—adj.
  1. done, made, occurring, or continuing during the night: an overnight stop; an overnight decision.
  2. staying for one night: a group of overnight guests.
  3. designed to be used on a trip or for a journey lasting one night or only a few nights.
  4. intended for delivery on the next day: overnight letters; an overnight package.
  5. valid for one night: The corporal got an overnight pass.
  6. occurring suddenly or within a very short time: a comedian who became an overnight sensation.
—n.
  1. an overnight stay or trip: Our daughter had an overnight at a friend's house.
  2. a permit for overnight absence, as from a college dormitory: She had an overnight the night of the prom.
  3. the previous evening.
—v.i.
  1. to have an overnight stay or trip: We'll overnight in Denver, then fly on to San Diego.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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