over·lay
ˌō-vər-ˈlā 
overlaid
ˌō-vər-ˈlād
; overlaying
; overlaying
1
a
: to lay or spread over or across : superimpose
b
: to prepare an overlay for
2
over·lay
ˈō-vər-ˌlā
: 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
Examples of overlay in a Sentence
Verb
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
Noun
a silver ring with gold overlay
The wooden table has a marble overlay.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vincent Alban, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The problems at control towers and facilities overlay an ongoing stress passengers feel over a string of technology outages, close calls and fatal accidents.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
Esat Dedezade, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Margouleff explained the sorting system—make, model, serial number, with a chronological overlay.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
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Verb
The vast glass windows and doors of the building, called Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, are overlaid with a pattern of close, opaque dots.
—Vincent Alban, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The problems at control towers and facilities overlay an ongoing stress passengers feel over a string of technology outages, close calls and fatal accidents.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
Noun
These glasses integrate microphones, cameras and displays to enable features like live translation, object recognition and visual overlays — all powered by Gemini.
—Esat Dedezade, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Margouleff explained the sorting system—make, model, serial number, with a chronological overlay.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
Cite this Entry
“Overlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlay. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overlay
1 of 2 verb
over·lay
ˌō-vər-ˈlā
overlaid
-ˈlād
; overlaying
; overlaying
1
: to lay or spread over or across
2
: overlie
overlay
2 of 2 noun
over·lay
ˈō-vər-ˌlā
: something (as a veneer on wood) that is overlaid
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