Overlie

Pronunciation: /oʊvərlaɪ/

Definitions of overlie

verb to lie over or upon; rest on top of

Example Sentences

A1 The book overlies the table.

A2 The blanket overlying the bed kept me warm.

B1 The new carpet overlies the old flooring in the living room.

B2 The new data overlie the previous findings in the research paper.

C1 The complex issues overlie each other, making it difficult to unravel the root causes.

C2 The layers of sediment overlie one another, revealing the history of the earth's geological changes.

Examples of overlie in a Sentence

formal The sedimentary rock overlying the shale layer is composed of sandstone.

informal The new carpet overlies the old hardwood floor in the living room.

slang I'm gonna lay low and let things overlie for a while.

figurative Her guilt overlying her true feelings caused her to act irrationally.

Grammatical Forms of overlie

• past tense: overlaid
• plural: overlies
• comparative: more overlying
• superlative: most overlying
• present tense: overlies
• future tense: will overlie
• perfect tense: has overlain
• continuous tense: is overlying
• singular: overlies
• positive degree: overlie
• infinitive: to overlie
• gerund: overlying
• participle: overlying

Origin and Evolution of overlie

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'overlie' originated from the Old English word 'oferligan' which meant to lie over or upon.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'overlie' has retained its original meaning of lying over or upon something, but it has also evolved to be used in a more metaphorical sense to indicate being burdened or overwhelmed by something.