overlay
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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overlays
plural
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something laid over something else; covering.
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a layer or decoration of something applied.
an overlay of gold.
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Printing.
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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.
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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.
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the sheet or sheets so prepared.
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a sheet of transparent paper placed over a photograph, a dummy, or other artwork for noting corrections, instructions, mechanical separations, etc.
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Computers. software or data in external storage and brought into main storage for execution by replacing or augmenting software or data already there.
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a transparent sheet giving special military information not ordinarily shown on maps, used by being placed over the map on which it is based.
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a decorative piece of leather or other material stitched on a shoe.
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Scot. a cravat.
verb
verb
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to lay or place something over or upon (something else)
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(often foll by with) to cover, overspread, or conceal (with)
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(foll by with) to cover (a surface) with an applied decoration
ebony overlaid with silver
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to achieve the correct printing pressure all over (a forme or plate) by adding to the appropriate areas of the packing
noun
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something that is laid over something else; covering
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an applied decoration or layer, as of gold leaf
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a transparent sheet giving extra details to a map or diagram over which it is designed to be placed
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printing material, such as paper, used to overlay a forme or plate
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of overlay
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at over-, lay 1
Explanation
To overlay is to cover with a coating or a layer, or to set one thing on top of another. A winter storm will sometimes overlay a dangerously slick coating of ice on top of the road. An artist might overlay a ceramic object with gold, or overlay one piece of paper on another in a collage. The layer itself, whether it's clear plastic or cement or silver, is also called an overlay. Another kind of overlay, dating from the 1930s, is the transparent sheet of paper in a book that covers a map or other full-page illustration.
Vocabulary lists containing overlay
"The Pale Mare" and "Caged Bird"
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Loser
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Other scammers take videos and photos from real practicing attorneys and overlay different audio to trick immigrants into sending them money.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The former Manchester mayor comes off as a gregarious, upbeat fellow with an admittedly nerdy overlay.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Michael Nizard, head of multi-asset and overlay at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management, said the yen’s excessive weakness could prompt coordinated intervention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
But a digital forensics expert told AFP's fact-checkers that the anomaly was the result of a failed text overlay by a news station that had syndicated the official feed.
From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026
There are only a few to be seen from here, scattered dots representing the rest of the Milky Way, invisible without a virtual overlay.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Augmented reality is a technology that overlays digital displays against real-world surroundings.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
She bristles when she realizes some dentists are using AI images to upsell patients—deploying color-coded overlays to dramatize borderline findings and justify questionable treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
As team principal Andrea Stella put it: "When we look at the GPS overlays, we see that Mercedes is faster in some of the corners."
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
"AI is definitely a story that overlays CES in terms of new capabilities, but also new price pressures," Greengart said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 3, 2026
Over the speakers, with no virtual overlays, she switches to speaking English.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Like other smart glasses, Specs will use AI to let people see digital elements overlaid onto the world.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Another post showed a map of North America - including Canada and Mexico - and Greenland all overlaid with the US flag.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
AR glasses let users see the world around them, overlaid with three-dimensional graphics, a fusion of the real and digital worlds.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Scientists at paint manufacturer PPG built a database containing the properties of all of their products, overlaid with the laws of chemistry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
He went, his face overlaid with shame and misery.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
"Climate, changed," is the Observer's pithy headline, describing it as "the burning issue" overlaying smoke billowing from mountainside fires in Powys, Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Many Americans have a very low level of financial resilience,” read text overlaying one such video from state media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
The caption simply stated the date — “9.27.25” — flanked by white heart emojis and audio of “La Vie En Rose” overlaying the display.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2025
A material like amber is formed over tens of thousands of years, when the heat and pressure of overlaying sediment causes a complex chemical reaction resulting in the resin-like stone.
From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2024
“It’s a museum,” Poppet says, overlaying the pieces in her mind and seeing where they match up with the building she has already seen in the stars.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
