overlaid

US: (ō′vər lād′)

From the verb overlay: (⇒ conjugate)

overlaid is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

o•ver•laid  (ō′vər lād′), v. 

1. History pt. and pp. of overlay ¹.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

o•ver•lay¹ /v. ˌoʊvɚˈleɪ; n. ˈoʊvɚˌleɪ/   v., -laid, -lay•ing, n. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to lay or place (one thing) over or upon another:
   to overlay fertilizer on the soil.
2. to cover with something:
   to overlay the soil with fertilizer.
3. to finish or decorate with an overlay:
   The wood was overlaid with gold.

n. [countable]

4. something laid over something else.
5. a decorative layer put on top of something.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

o•ver•lay¹  (v. ō′vər lā′;n. ō′vər lā′), v., -laid, -lay•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to lay or place (one thing) over or upon another.
2. to cover, overspread, or surmount with something.
3. to finish with a layer or applied decoration of something:
   wood richly overlaid with gold.
4. Printing to put an overlay upon.

n. 

5. something laid over something else;
   covering.
6. a layer or decoration of something applied:
   an overlay of gold.
7. [Print.]
   • Printing a shaped piece of paper, or a sheet of paper reinforced at the proper places by shaped pieces, put on the tympan of a press to increase or equalize the impression.
   • Printing a method of preparing copy for multicolor printing, in which matter for each color is prepared on a transparent sheet that is placed over a key plate, usually the one to be printed in black.
   • Printing the sheet or sheets so prepared.
8. Printing a sheet of transparent paper placed over a photograph, a dummy, or other artwork for noting corrections, instructions, mechanical separations, etc.
9. Computing software or data in external storage and brought into main storage for execution by replacing or augmenting software or data already there.
10. Military a transparent sheet giving special military information not ordinarily shown on maps, used by being placed over the map on which it is based.
11. Clothing a decorative piece of leather or other material stitched on a shoe.
12. Clothing, Scottish Terms [Scot.] a cravat.

• 1250–1300; Middle English; see over-, lay¹

o•ver•lay²  (ō′vər lā′), v. 

1. pt. of overlie. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

overlay verb / ˌəʊvəˈleɪ/ ( -lays, -laying, -laid)(transitive)

1. to lay or place something over or upon (something else)
2. (often followed by with) to cover, overspread, or conceal (with)
3. (followed by with) to cover (a surface) with an applied decoration: ebony overlaid with silver
4. to achieve the correct printing pressure all over (a forme or plate) by adding to the appropriate areas of the packing

noun / ˈəʊvəˌleɪ/

1. something that is laid over something else; covering
2. an applied decoration or layer, as of gold leaf
3. a transparent sheet giving extra details to a map or diagram over which it is designed to be placed
4. material, such as paper, used to overlay a forme or plate