OVERLA'Y, verb transitive 1. To lay too much upon; to oppress with incumbent weight; as a country overlaid with inhabitants. Our sins have overlaid our hopes. 2. To cover to spread over the surface; as, to overlay capitals of columns with silver; cedar overlaid with gold. 3. To smother with close covering; as, to overlay an infant. 4. To overwhelm; to smother. A heap of ashes that o'er lays your fire. 5. To cloud; to overcast. - As when a cloud his beam doth overlay 6. To cover; to join two opposite sides by a cover. And overlay with this portentous bridge the dark abyss.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI