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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s relevant for digging through the Earth because when a hole is dug or drilled, the walls along the sides of the hole are under tremendous pressure from the overlying rock and also unstable because there’s empty space next to them. Andrew Gase, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024 When the stone near the surface can no longer support the weight of overlying soil or a roadbed, the ground collapses and a sinkhole appears. Mary Ann Ashcraft, Baltimore Sun, 23 Nov. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for overlie 

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 30 Dec. 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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