overlay

verb over·lay \ ˌō-vər-ˈlā \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Examples: overlay in a Sentence

Definition of overlay

overlaid play \ˌō-vər-ˈlād\; overlaying

transitive verb

1 a : to lay or spread over or across : superimpose

b : to prepare an overlay for

2 : overlie 2

See overlay defined for English-language learners

See overlay defined for kids

Examples of overlay in a Sentence

you should apply a coat of primer first, and then overlay it with two coats of paint
cedar shingles overlaying one another on the roof

Recent Examples of overlay from the Web

In honoring that often-tragic passage, the artist has overlaid the flags’ simple stripes with paintings that represent poetic celestial maps.

— george fishman, miamiherald, "Monarchs ‘Brown and Native’ butterfly exhibit a response to contemporary events," 13 July 2018
The fuzziness solidifies, control overlaying chaos.

— jason kehe, WIRED, "The Real Reason You Use Closed Captions for Everything Now," 26 June 2018
The Post's Philip Bump overlaid 2016 voting patterns on maps showing the sources of commodities China is targeting with its tariffs.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump tariffs aren't going to impede economic growth (yet)," 5 Apr. 2018
Thanks to a heavy emphasis on linen, the tailoring had a softer-than-usal feeling, even when overlaid with panels of silk and organza to create floral landscapes as impressively drafted as anything on Carlotta’s walls or ceilings.

— luke leitch, Vogue, "Male Patterned Boldness: Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Sartoria Ode to Villa Carlotta," 9 July 2018
Facebook had another program that let advertisers overlay their own data with third-party firms', called Managed Customer Audiences.

— bloomberg, latimes.com, "Facebook's data crackdown has two winners, and one of them is Facebook," 6 Apr. 2018
Anti-government conservatives had long feared that democracy would facilitate the many to confiscate the resources of the few; meanwhile demographic change has overlaid a parallel ethnic pessimism.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "The Anti-Trump Right Has Become Trump’s Base," 3 July 2018
Microsoft HolosLens via The Verge The promise of mixed reality has always been its ability to overlay the world with a layer of information that wouldn’t otherwise be there.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "New Microsoft HoloLens app can guide the blind through complex buildings," 5 June 2018
To make up for the dearth of conventional action, Garbus overlays workaday newsroom scenes with a tense score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a constant reminder of the stakes of the task at hand.

— julia felsenthal, Vogue, "The New York Times," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overlay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overlay

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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overlay Synonyms

Synonyms

blanket, carpet, coat, cover, overlie, overspread, sheet;

cloak, clothe, curtain, veil;

circle, encircle, encompass;

Other Handicraft Terms

biscuit, darn, tambour, wrought

overlay

noun over·lay \ ˈō-vər-ˌlā \

Definition of overlay

: a covering either permanent or temporary: such as

a : an ornamental veneer

b : a decorative and contrasting design or article placed on top of a plain one

c : a transparent sheet containing graphic matter to be superimposed on another sheet

See overlay defined for English-language learners

Examples of overlay in a Sentence

a silver ring with gold overlay
The wooden table has a marble overlay.

Recent Examples of overlay from the Web

Lennon said the airport is looking at structural improvements to the fencing, like putting cement under more fencing to prevent people from crawling underneath and a mesh overlay to prevent people from climbing up.

— kelly yamanouchi, ajc, "Fence jumpers raise security concerns at Hartsfield-Jackson," 11 July 2018
Mansoor simply objected to the density, even though the project satisfied the requirements of the urban overlay zone and is exactly what was envisioned by the community for this area.

— jeffrey harlan, latimes.com, "Costa Mesa City Council majority got it wrong by denying Plant project," 10 July 2018
The gown had been inspired by the Queen's own wedding dress, and was made from white silk with a handmade lace overlay.

— elizabeth angell, Town & Country, "Prince Louis's Christening Dress Has a Fascinating History," 9 July 2018
Once the overlay is created, any project requires a Special Permit granted by the council.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Should Marlborough approve the zoning change needed to build a proposed retirement community on the airport land?," 8 June 2018
An easy choice Even now, there is a margin of error of one to two millimeters in where the information overlay gets placed, Mount Sinai’s Dr. Bederson says.

— sarah toy, WSJ, "Brain Surgeons Get a Better View From Augmented Reality," 28 May 2018
The Marvel movies and others of their kind often produce an illusion of profundity, a slick, murky overlay of allegorical suggestiveness.

— a.o. scott, New York Times, "‘Avengers: Infinity War’: It’s Marvel’s Universe. We Just Live in It.," 24 Apr. 2018
The council declined to follow the City Planning Commission's recommendation to create the overlay.

— kevin litten, NOLA.com, "New Orleans hasn't acted to require affordable housing; now Legislature could ban such zoning," 12 Apr. 2018
The new tool, called the ARveo Augmented Reality microscope, generates visual overlays that assist surgeons during brain and spinal surgeries.

— rebecca lurye, courant.com, "UConn Health Is First U.S. Hospital With Augmented Reality Surgical Microscope," 12 July 2018

First Known Use of overlay

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

OVERLAY Defined for English Language Learners

overlay

verb

Definition of overlay for English Language Learners

: to cover (something) with a layer of another material

overlay

noun

Definition of overlay for English Language Learners

: material that covers the complete surface or part of the surface of something and that changes its appearance
: a transparent sheet with information or pictures on it that is placed on top of another sheet to change what is being shown