overlie

[ oh-ver-lahy ]

verb (used with object)

, o·ver·lay [oh-ver-, ley], o·ver·lain [oh-ver-, leyn], o·ver·ly·ing.

1. to lie over or upon, as a covering or stratum.
2. to smother (an infant) by lying on them, as in sleep.

overlie

/ ˌəʊvəˈlaɪ /

verb

1. to lie or rest upon Compare overlay
2. to kill (a baby or newborn animal) by lying upon it

Word History and Origins

Origin of overlie¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English overlien, overliggen; over-, lie ²

Example Sentences

“This is why you have my support,” one commenter wrote when the video was later posted to Instagram with Gascón gesturing wildly at overlain text highlighting some of his campaign’s priorities.

From Los Angeles Times

As a result, the top few inches of soil or rock heat up rapidly over the course of a day, and in turn warm the overlying air.

From Los Angeles Times

In many Baltic cemeteries horses were buried separately from humans, but there are numerous examples of horses with overlain human cremations.

From Science Daily

"There are places where the water is almost at the pressure of the overlying ice, so just a little more pressure is needed to push up the ice," Rignot said.

From Science Daily

It is this stray field which produces new magnetic microstructures in the overlying ferromagnetic layer: spins emanate radially from the structure centre, as in a radial vortex.

From Science Daily