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. See overlay
   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

When enough vapor accumulates and the pressure becomes high enough to match or overcome the weight of the overlying frost, the vapor could burst out at velocities over 70 kilometers per hour.

From Science News

As the tectonic plate overlying the plume moves, a chain of volcanoes forms over time.

From Popular-Science

Material that hot is more than warm enough to rise to Earth’s surface, chew through overlying crust and create prodigious volcanic activity.

From Science News

For instance, after overlying glaciers have melted, volcanoes in Iceland have shown an uptick in eruptions.

From Science News For Students

Volcanoes in Iceland, for instance, have shown an uptick in eruptions after overlying glaciers have melted, relieving the volcanic systems of the weight of the ice.

From Science News

Marls and limestones with fossils of an Eocene facies overlie the Cretaceous rocks on the Gabun.

From Project Gutenberg

It also drains regions of the glacial drift and beds which overlie overturned Miocene strata, and are sometimes mixed with them.

From Project Gutenberg

This was a satire upon shams, conventions, the disguises which overlie the most spiritual realities of the soul.

From Project Gutenberg

Also a pair of elements which overlie the position of the external occipital joint.

From Project Gutenberg

These overlie the bony scutes of armadillos and occur covering the tail in several groups of mammals, such as beavers and rats.

From Project Gutenberg