underlay

American  

[uhn-der-ley, uhn-der-ley] / ˌʌn dərˈleɪ, ˈʌn dərˌleɪ /

verb (used with object)

underlaid, underlaying

1. to lay under or beneath.

2. to provide with something laid underneath; raise or support with something laid underneath.

   The manufacturer underlays the chrome finish with a zinc coating.

3. to extend across the bottom of.

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noun

1. something underlaid.

2. Printing. a piece or pieces of paper put under type or cuts to bring them to the proper height for printing.

underlay British  

verb

1. to place (something) under or beneath

2. to support by something laid beneath

3. to achieve the correct printing pressure all over (a forme block) or to bring (a block) up to type height by adding material, such as paper, to the appropriate areas beneath it

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noun

1. a layer, lining, support, etc, laid underneath something else

2. printing material, such as paper, used to underlay a forme or block

3. felt, rubber, etc, laid beneath a carpet to increase insulation and resilience

Etymology

Origin of underlay

before 900; Middle English underleyen, Old English underlecgan; under-, lay ¹

Explanation

To underlay a thing is to give it a foundation or support by putting something sturdy under it. Underlay also means to be underneath. Something that underlays something else provides a base for that thing, whether it's the foundation of a building, the paper backing of a decal, or the fundamental ideas of a theory. As a noun, underlay refers to the padding that's laid out under carpet and other kinds of flooring.

Example Sentences

In postproduction, Del Toro sometimes underlay Elordi’s screams with his own guttural noises or the roars of lions and gorillas, imagining a voice created by mismatched lungs and a throat from different people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

However, Sidony says her flooring was never inspected, and has shown the BBC her end of tenancy agreement which instructed her to remove carpets, underlay, gripper rods and laminate flooring.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2024

The turf was intended to function as an underlay for a plastic liner atop it as part of a construction project.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023

There is a strong likelihood that what underlay the claims for the Grave Creek Stone were assumptions that impressive archaeological sites in North America could not possibly be the work of Native Americans.

From Slate • Nov. 11, 2023

I just wanted us to be talking and joking comfortably, like we were on the couch together back home, but some tension underlay everything.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green