Overlayer

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The action of applying a supplementary layer on top of an existing one for purposes such as protection or aesthetic improvement
2. The process of coating a pre-existing surface with an extra layer to achieve specific functional or decorative effects
3. A person or device that applies an extra layer over a surface to enhance or protect it

Etymology: "Overlayer" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-" attached to "layer," with the sense of putting one layer on top of another. The noun "layer" itself comes from the Old English "lecgend," a "one who lays" or "a thing laid," and it is tied to the verb "lay." Its meaning of a thin covering or stratum on a surface is what "overlayer" builds on. The prefix "over-" does the work here. In English it can mean "on top of" or "above," as in "overcoat" or "overhead," and attaching it to "layer" produces a word for something placed upon an existing layer. Because the combination is transparent, the word is easy to decode from its parts even without a dictionary.

Synonyms: overlay, cover

Antonyms: underlayer