overharvest

verb

over·​har·​vest ˌō-vər-ˈhär-vəst How to pronounce overharvest (audio)
overharvested; overharvesting

transitive + intransitive

: to harvest (something) excessively and especially to a harmful degree
overharvesting oysters to the point of depletion
It would therefore be in the common interest of all consumers to exercise restraint and not overharvest.Jared Diamond

Examples of overharvest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Don’t overharvest or deplete. Kristina Rizga, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2020 Additionally, the dolphins are threatened by pollution, and commercial fishing operations overharvest the mullet. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overharvest was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near overharvest

Cite this Entry

“Overharvest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overharvest. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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