Past tense of overhear; to have heard someone speaking without their knowledge or intention. Accidentally or intentionally listening to a conversation not meant for you.
Compound word from 'over' (beyond, across) and 'hear', first recorded in Middle English around the 14th century. The prefix suggests hearing beyond the intended audience or across a barrier that should have provided privacy.
The concept of overhearing reflects our complex relationship with privacy and knowledge - there's always been something slightly guilty yet irresistibly human about accidentally hearing secrets. In our modern world of open offices and thin walls, overhearing has become an almost unavoidable daily experience.
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