überschneiden

Überschneiden is a German verb that denotes overlap, crossing, or intersection of two or more objects, lines, or time periods. It can describe physical contact where one thing lies over another, or a relational overlap where two intervals or sets share a common portion. The form sich überschneiden is frequently used to express that two elements overlap.

In mathematics and geometry, überscheiden describes the moment when lines, curves, or surfaces meet or cross each other. For example, two straight lines may schneiden sich (intersect) at a point, while curves can sich überschneiden in a shared region or touch at multiple points. The noun form is Überschneidung, referring to the overlap or intersection itself, such as the Überschneidung von Zeitfenstern.

In temporal contexts, termine, Zeitfenster, or schedules can sich überschneiden, indicating that their time intervals overlap. This can create conflicts or require rescheduling. In design, architecture, and computer graphics, layers, shapes, or regions may überschnidden sich, meaning they overlapped spatially.

The term is closely related to Überlappen, which emphasizes covering the same space or area rather than a crossing point. However, Überschneiden often highlights a crossing or overlapping that occurs in both space and time, rather than mere adjacency. Etymologically, it combines über- (over) with schneiden (to cut).

Related concepts include Schnittpunkt (intersection point) and Überschneidung (the overlap itself). The usage ranges from precise geometric description to more general statements about overlapping plans, events, or data.