To lie on top of something, covering it. This is a written word, not a spoken one, and you meet it in two places above all.

To lie on top of something躺在/位於某個東西上面 covering it把它蓋住 This is a written word這是個書面用字 not a spoken one不是口語用字 and you meet it in two places above all你主要會在兩個地方遇到它

In geology it is the everyday term for rock layers: sandstone overlies the granite, meaning the sandstone sits above it.

In geology在地質學裡 it is the everyday term它是普通的說法 for rock layers用在岩層上 sandstone overlies the granitesandstone(砂岩)overlies(上覆)granite(花崗岩) meaning the sandstone sits above it意思是砂岩位於它上面

In medicine and in old law reports it has a much darker use — a sleeping mother or nurse rolling onto a baby in the night and smothering it; that is what "overlaying a child" meant in old records, and the word still appears in writing about infant deaths.

In medicine and in old law reports在醫學和舊的法律紀錄裡 it has a much darker use它有個黑暗得多的用法 a sleeping mother or nurse一位熟睡的母親或保母 rolling onto a baby in the night在夜裡翻身壓到嬰兒身上 and smothering it把嬰兒悶死 that is what "overlaying a child" meant in old records這就是「overlaying a child」在舊紀錄裡的意思 and the word still appears這個字現在還會出現 in writing about infant deaths在談嬰兒死亡的文章裡

Outside those two worlds, ordinary people say "lie on top of" or "cover".

Outside those two worlds在這兩個領域之外 ordinary people say一般人會說 "lie on top of" or "cover"「lie on top of」或「cover」

Two things make it awkward to use. Its forms are irregular and easy to get wrong: overlie, overlies, overlay (past), overlain (past participle), overlying. And there is a separate verb "overlay" (overlay, overlaid, overlaid), which means to PUT one thing on top of another — so the past tense of one is the plain form of the other. Even careful writers mix them up.

Two things有兩件事 make it awkward to use讓這個字用起來很彆扭 Its forms are irregular它的變化是不規則的 and easy to get wrong而且很容易用錯 overlie, overlies, overlay (past), overlain (past participle), overlyingoverlie、overlies、overlay(過去式)、overlain(過去分詞)、overlying And there is a separate verb "overlay"而且另外還有一個動詞「overlay」 (overlay, overlaid, overlaid)(overlay、overlaid、overlaid) which means to PUT one thing on top of another意思是把一個東西放到另一個上面 so the past tense of one所以其中一個字的過去式 is the plain form of the other剛好是另一個字的原形 Even careful writers就連小心的作者 mix them up也會把它們搞混