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overlay

 - 8 dictionary results

o⋅ver⋅lay

1  [v. oh-ver-ley; n. oh-ver-ley] verb, -laid, -lay⋅ing, noun
Use overlay in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
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
5. something laid over something else; covering.
6. a layer or decoration of something applied: an overlay of gold.
7. Printing.
a. 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.
b. 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.
c. the sheet or sheets so prepared.
8. a sheet of transparent paper placed over a photograph, a dummy, or other artwork for noting corrections, instructions, mechanical separations, etc.
9. Computers. software or data in external storage and brought into main storage for execution by replacing or augmenting software or data already there.
10. a transparent sheet giving special military information not ordinarily shown on maps, used by being placed over the map on which it is based.
11. a decorative piece of leather or other material stitched on a shoe.
12. Scot. a cravat.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME; see over-, lay 1

o⋅ver⋅lay

2  [oh-ver-ley]
–verb
pt. of overlie.

o⋅ver⋅lie

  [oh-ver-lahy]
–verb (used with object), -lay, -lain, -ly⋅ing.
1. to lie over or upon, as a covering or stratum.
2. to smother (an infant) by lying upon it, as in sleep.
Origin:
1125–75; ME overlien, overliggen. See over-, lie 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To overlay
o·ver·lay 1   (ō'vər-lā')   
tr.v.   o·ver·laid (-lād'), o·ver·lay·ing, o·ver·lays

  1. To lay or spread over or on.

    1. To cover the surface of with a decorative layer or design: overlay wood with silver.

    2. To embellish superficially: a simple tune that was overlaid with ornate harmonies.

  3. Printing To put an overlay on.

  4. To create (a new area code) having the same boundaries as another: In Maryland, area code 240 was overlaid on top of area code 301.

n.   (ō'vər-lā')

  1. Something that is laid over or covers something else.

  2. A layer of decoration, such as gold leaf or wood veneer, applied to a surface.

  3. Printing A piece of paper used on a press tympan to vary the pressure that produces light and dark tones.

  4. A transparent sheet containing graphic matter, such as labels or colored areas, placed on illustrative matter to be incorporated into it.

  5. An area code whose boundaries are the same as another area code.

o·ver·lay 2   (ō'vər-lā')   
v.  Past tense of overlie.
o·ver·lie   (ō'vər-lī')   
tr.v.   o·ver·lay (-lā'), o·ver·lain (-lān'), o·ver·ly·ing, o·ver·lies

  1. To lie over or on.

  2. To suffocate (a baby, for example) by accidentally lying on top of it.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

overlay  (v.)
"to cover the surface of (something)," c.1300, from over + lay (q.v.). There also was an overlie (c.1175), but it had been merged into this word by 18c. The noun in the printing sense is attested from 1824; meaning "transparent sheet over a map, chart, etc." is from 1938.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: over·lie
Pronunciation: "O-v&r-'lI
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: over·lay /-'lA/; over·lain /-'lAn/; over·ly·ing /-'lI-i[ng]/
: to cause the death of by lying upon
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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