to lie or rest upon
Compare overlayto kill (a baby or newborn animal) by lying upon it
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
o•ver•lain
(ō′vər lān′),USA pronunciation v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Historypp. of overlie.
o•ver•lie
(ō′vər lī′),USA pronunciation v.t., -lay, -lain, -ly•ing.
- to lie over or upon, as a covering or stratum.
- to smother (an infant) by lying upon it, as in sleep.
- Middle English overlien, overliggen. See over-, lie2 1125–75
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