overlie

verb

over·​lie ˌō-vər-ˈlī 

overlay ˌō-vər-ˈlā  ; overlain ˌō-vər-ˈlān  ; overlying ˌō-vər-ˈlī-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to lie over or upon

2

: to cause the death of by lying upon

Synonyms

• lap
• overlap
• overlay
• overspread

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

overlie

verb

over·​lie -ˈlī 

overlay -ˈlā  ; overlain -ˈlān  ; overlying -ˈlī-iŋ 

: to lie over or upon

Medical Definition

overlie

transitive verb

over·​lie ˌō-vər-ˈlī 

overlay -ˈlā  ; overlain -ˈlān  ; overlying -ˈlī-iŋ 

: to cause the death of by lying upon