- oversee
- O.E. oferseon "to look down upon, keep watch over," from ofer "over" + seon "to see" (see see). Meaning "to supervise" is attested from c.1449; overseer "superintendent" is from 1523. The verb lacks the double sense of similar overlook (q.v.), but this emerges in the noun form oversight, which means both "supervision, care management" (c.1300) and "fact of passing over without seeing" (1477).