superimpose

verb

su·​per·​im·​pose ˌsü-pər-im-ˈpōz 

superimposed; superimposing; superimposes

transitive verb

: to place or lay over or above something

superimposed images

superimposition

ˌsü-pər-ˌim-pə-ˈzi-shən 

noun

Did you know?

Superimposition was one of the magical effects employed by early filmmakers. Using "mirror shots", with semitransparent mirrors set at 45° angles to the scene, they would superimpose shadowy images of ghosts or scenes from a character's past onto scenes from the present. Superimposing your own ideas on something, such as a historical event, has to be done carefully, since your ideas may change whenever you learn something new about the event.

Examples of superimpose in a Sentence

A triangle superimposed on an inverted triangle forms a six-pointed star.

Recent Examples on the Web

The old tourist is essentially the boorish figure from the headlines—solipsistic, oriented toward the self, someone who superimposes their fantasies onto a place and then is outraged when their expectations aren’t met. —Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 30 June 2024

Bak superimposes all this over lo-fi, childlike backgrounds, including a piece of cardboard with a rainbow painted on it. —Brian Ng, ARTnews.com, 26 June 2024

The image in the Facebook post appears to be an edited image of Canadian player Bridget Carleton’s headshot for the national team in which Clark's face is superimposed over Carleton's. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 26 June 2024

The video superimposed Perkins’ face onto the body of an actor playing him. —Alena Botros, Fortune, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

superimpose

verb

su·​per·​im·​pose ˌsü-pə-rim-ˈpōz 

: to place or lay over or above something

superimposition

-ˌrim-pə-ˈzish-ən 

noun