Other forms: overhauled, overhauls, overhauling
To overhaul is to take something apart and repair it thoroughly. Overhaul the engine, a complete overhaul, overhaul the system.
It means stripping down rather than fixing a fault, which is why an overhaul is scheduled rather than prompted. It also means to overtake, which is the older nautical sense — hauling over a rope. Figuratively a system, a policy or a squad gets overhauled.
1verboverhaulTo take something apart and repair it thoroughly.
“The mechanic overhauled the old engine, replacing every worn part.”
2nounreorganisationA thorough repair or reorganisation.
“The new minister promised a complete overhaul of the tax system.”
overhaul is a thorough repair.
Proto-Indo-European
*kelh₁- — to call, cry, summon
Proto-Germanic
*halōną
Old English
*halian — to haul, drag
Middle Dutch
halen — to drag, fetch, haul
Frankish
*halōn — to drag, fetch, haul
Old French
haler — to haul, pull
Middle English
hālen
English
haul
English, today
overhaul
Built from
From over- + haul. haul comes from Middle English hālen, hailen, haulen, halien (“to drag, pull; to draw up”), from Old French haler (“to haul, pull”), from Frankish halōn (“to drag, fetch, haul”) or Middle Dutch halen (“to drag, fetch, haul”), possibly merging with Old English halian (“to haul, drag”); all from Proto-Germanic halōną, halēną, hulōną (“to call, fetch, summon”), from Proto-Indo-European kelh₁- (“to call, cry, summon”). The noun is derived from the verb. 2 The word is cognate with Danish hale (“to haul”), Middle Dutch halen (“to draw, fetch, haul”), Dutch halen (“to fetch, bring, haul”), Old Frisian halia, stq halen (“to draw, haul, pull”), Low German halen (“to draw, pull”), Old High German halôn, holôn, German holen (“to fetch, get”), Norwegian hale (“to haul”), Old Saxon halôn (“to fetch, get”), Swedish hala (“to hale, haul, pull, tug”), and related to Old English ġeholian (“to get, obtain”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA