overlie

verb

over·​lie ˌō-vər-ˈlī How to pronounce overlie (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to lie over or upon
2
: to cause the death of by lying upon

Examples of overlie in a Sentence

the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor there will be freezing rain tonight, so we can expect to find a thick layer of ice overlying the car windshield in the morning
Recent Examples on the Web As the fabric does so, an ordered network of minuscule cracks open and close in the overlying graphene layer. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024 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. Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024 Then Lewis and her colleagues work to develop solutions to preserve the caves without hindering construction, such as rerouting utilities around subterranean cavities or installing manholes in overlying sidewalks to maintain access. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2024 The cameras pierced the artist’s overlying brushstrokes to reveal a sketch of an elegant and mysterious man wearing a bow tie and three rings and holding his chin. Fabio Pacucci, Scientific American, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for overlie 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overlie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlie was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near overlie

Cite this Entry

“Overlie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlie. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

overlie

verb
over·​lie -ˈlī How to pronounce overlie (audio)
overlay -ˈlā How to pronounce overlie (audio) ; overlain -ˈlān How to pronounce overlie (audio) ; overlying -ˈlī-iŋ How to pronounce overlie (audio)
: to lie over or upon

Medical Definition

overlie

transitive verb
over·​lie ˌō-vər-ˈlī How to pronounce overlie (audio)
overlay -ˈlā How to pronounce overlie (audio) ; overlain -ˈlān How to pronounce overlie (audio) ; overlying -ˈlī-iŋ How to pronounce overlie (audio)
: to cause the death of by lying upon

More from Merriam-Webster on overlie

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