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noun

overlay

CEFR C2

protective covering consisting, for example, of a layer of boards applied to the studs and joists of a building to strengthen it and serve as a foundation for a weatherproof exterior

In a sentence

Three example sentences with overlay, each labelled with its topic.

  • Carpenters nailed a plywood overlay across the frame before the roofers arrived to spread felt and shingles.

    Architecture

  • Shipwrights fitted a copper overlay below the waterline so worms could not chew through the oak hull.

    History

  • The cabin's cedar overlay had weathered to silver, but underneath the walls were as sound as the day they rose.

    Travel

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Found in these word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains overlay. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.