overlap

American  

[oh-ver-lap, oh-ver-lap] / ˌoʊ vərˈlæp, ˈoʊ vərˌlæp /

verb (used with object)

overlapped, overlapping

1. to lap over (something else or each other); extend over and cover a part of; imbricate.

2. to cover and extend beyond (something else).

   The ends of cloth overlap the table.

3. to coincide in part with; have in common with.

   two lives that overlapped each other.

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verb (used without object)

overlapped, overlapping

1. to lap over.

   two sales territories that overlap; fields of knowledge that overlap.

noun

1. an act or instance of overlapping.

2. the extent or amount of overlapping.

   The second story of the building has an overlap of ten feet.

3. an overlapping part.

4. the place of overlapping.

5. (in yacht racing) the position of two yachts side by side such that the overtaking boat, to pass the other on the opposite side, must fall back, or such that neither can turn toward the other without danger of collision.

overlap British  

verb

1. (of two things) to extend or lie partly over (each other)

2. to cover and extend beyond (something)

3. (intr) to coincide partly in time, subject, etc

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noun

1. a part that overlaps or is overlapped

2. the amount, length, etc, overlapping

3. the act or fact of overlapping

4. a place of overlapping

5. geology the horizontal extension of the upper beds in a series of rock strata beyond the lower beds, usually caused by submergence of the land

Other Word Forms

• nonoverlapping adjective

Etymology

Origin of overlap

First recorded in 1685–95; over- + lap ²

Example Sentences

But two overlapping developments in the past two decades supercharged the get-rich culture: the rise of websites and later of apps like Robinhood that make it easier to trade, and the war on terror.

From The Wall Street Journal

When the two overlap, their superposition transfers the information from the original photon to the far-away partner of the entangled pair.

From Science Daily

I’ve only known her about four months, so our friend groups don’t overlap much.

From MarketWatch

The full-body suit was made up of about 26 overlapping prosthetic pieces that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

From Los Angeles Times

They vary widely in shape and age: some are crisp, some eroded, some overlapping, and others partly buried.

From Science Daily