What is "overshoot"

Overshoot \O`ver*shoot"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Overshot; p. pr. & vb. n. Overshooting.]

1. To shoot over or beyond; to miss; as, to overshoot a mark; to overshoot the green in golf. ``Not to overshoot his game.''
   --South.

2. Hence: To go beyond an intended point or limit; as, to overshoot the runway in landing an airplane; to overshoot the endpoint in a titration.

   2. To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond.
   --Hartle.

3. To exceed; as, to overshoot the truth.
   --Cowper.

   To overshoot one's self, to venture too far; to assert too much.

Overshoot \O`ver*shoot"\, v. i. To fly beyond the mark.
--Collier.

mid-14c., "to shoot, run, or pass beyond (a point or limit)," over- + shoot (v.). Related: Overshot; overshooting.

n. 1 (context uncountable English) The amount by which something goes too far. 2 (context countable ecology English) When the population of a species exceeds its environment's carrying capacity. vb. 1 To go past something; to go too far. 2 To shoot beyond; to shoot too far to hit something. 3 To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond. 4 (context figurative English) To exceed.

1. n. an approach that fails and gives way to another attempt [syn: wave-off, go-around]

2. v. shoot beyond or over (a target) [ant: undershoot]

3. aim too high; "The plan overshoots its aim"

4. [also: overshot]

Overshoot may refer to:

• Overshoot (population), when a population exceeds the environment's carrying capacity
  • Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change, 1980 book by William R. Catton, Jr.
• Overshoot (signal), when a signal exceeds its steady state value
• Overshoot (microwave communication), unintended reception of microwave signals
• Overshoot (migration), when migratory birds end up further than intended
• Overshoot (typography) the degree to which a letter dips below the baseline, or exceeds the cap height
• Overshoot (combat aviation), a key concept in basic fighter maneuvers (BFM)
• In economics, the overshooting model for the volatility of exchange rates

Overshoot is the unintended reception of microwave signals in microwave communication, occurring as a result of an unusual ionospheric conditions.

In typeface design, the overshoot of a round or pointed letter (like O or A) is the degree to which it extends higher or lower than a comparably sized "flat" letter (like X or H), to achieve an optical effect of being the same size; it compensates for inaccuracies in human visual perception.

Formally, it is the degree to which capital letters go below the baseline or above the cap height, or to which a lowercase letter goes below the baseline or above the x-height.

For example, the highest and lowest extent of the capital O will typically exceed those of the capital X. Although the extent of overshoot varies depending on the design and the designer, perhaps 1% to 3% of the cap or x-height is typical for O. Peter Karow's Digital Formats for Typefaces recommends 3% for O and 5% for A.

In signal processing, control theory, electronics, and mathematics, overshoot is the occurrence of a signal or function exceeding its target. It arises especially in the step response of bandlimited systems such as low-pass filters. It is often followed by ringing, and at times conflated with the latter.

In population dynamics and population ecology, overshoot occurs when a population temporarily exceeds the long term carrying capacity of its environment. The consequence of overshoot is called a collapse, a crash or a die-off in which there is a decline in population density. The entire sequence or trajectory undergone by the population and its environment is often termed 'overshoot-and-collapse'.

Overshoot can occur due to lag effects. Reproduction rates may remain high relative to the death rate. Entire ecosystems may be severely affected and sometimes reduced to less- complex states due to prolonged overshoot. The eradication of disease can trigger overshoot when a population suddenly exceeds the land's carrying capacity. An example of this occurred on the Horn of Africa when smallpox was eliminated. A region that had supported around 1 million pastoralists for centuries was suddenly expected to support 14 million people. The result was overgrazing, which led to soil erosion.