overlay

¹

[ verb oh-ver-ley; noun oh-ver-ley ]

verb (used with object)

, o·ver·laid, o·ver·lay·ing.

1. to lay or place (one thing) over or upon another.
2. to cover, overspread, or surmount with something.
3. to finish with a layer or applied decoration of something:

   wood richly overlaid with gold.

4. Printing. to put an overlay upon.

noun

1. something laid over something else; covering.
2. a layer or decoration of something applied:

   an overlay of gold.

3. Printing.
   1. a shaped piece of paper, or a sheet of paper reinforced at the proper places by shaped pieces, put on the tympan of a press to increase or equalize the impression.
   2. a method of preparing copy for multicolor printing, in which matter for each color is prepared on a transparent sheet that is placed over a key plate, usually the one to be printed in black.
   3. the sheet or sheets so prepared.
4. a sheet of transparent paper placed over a photograph, a dummy, or other artwork for noting corrections, instructions, mechanical separations, etc.
5. Computers. software or data in external storage and brought into main storage for execution by replacing or augmenting software or data already there.
6. a transparent sheet giving special military information not ordinarily shown on maps, used by being placed over the map on which it is based.
7. a decorative piece of leather or other material stitched on a shoe.
8. Scot. a cravat.

overlay

²

[ oh-ver-ley ]

verb

1. simple past tense of overlie.

overlay

verb

1. to lay or place something over or upon (something else)
2. often foll by with to cover, overspread, or conceal (with)
3. foll by with to cover (a surface) with an applied decoration

   ebony overlaid with silver

4. to achieve the correct printing pressure all over (a forme or plate) by adding to the appropriate areas of the packing

noun

1. something that is laid over something else; covering
2. an applied decoration or layer, as of gold leaf
3. a transparent sheet giving extra details to a map or diagram over which it is designed to be placed
4. printing material, such as paper, used to overlay a forme or plate

Word History and Origins

Origin of overlay¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; over-, lay ¹

Example Sentences

TikTok users often take part in trends by using the audio of popular videos and overlaying it with their own clips.

From BBC

"This is a map of hurricane affected areas with an overlay of electoral map by political party shows how hurricane devastation could affect the election," she wrote.

From Salon

So many overlaps and overlays with Norman and the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” experience trying to get out and save the world with no one taking him seriously because he is the unexpected hero.

From Salon

Augmented reality glasses overlay digital images onto a person’s view of the physical world.

From Los Angeles Times

The video below overlays nearby cities, including Riverside, San Bernardino, Victorville and Palm Springs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• superimpose