Overcoating

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A protective layer that is added to a surface to increase its resilience and aesthetic qualities
2. A layer applied over a material's surface to shield it from damage and enhance appearance
3. An additional coating placed on top of a surface for protection and improved visual effect

Etymology: "Overcoating" is the gerund and present participle of "overcoat," so the real story lies in the noun it comes from. An overcoat is a heavy outer garment worn over other clothes, and its name is simply a compound of "over-" and "coat," both of which have traveled a long road to get here. The "coat" part comes from Latin "cotta," a tunic or short garment, which passed into Old French as "cotte" and then into Middle English as "cote." Its roots reach back to a Proto-Germanic word, "kuttôn," which suggests a coarse woollen or shaggy cloth. The "over-" element is an older native English word, "ofer," which meant above or beyond, and it has been attached to words in English for over a thousand years. Put together, the name describes exactly what the garment does: it is a coat worn on top of every other layer. The compound was formed in English by joining two ordinary words, so it tells a plain, practical story rather than a dramatic one.

Synonyms: covering, coating, layering, laminating, enveloping

Antonyms: stripping, removing, uncovering, exposing, baring