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to underlay

to underlay

1 4.8
To put a thin layer under a carpet or floor to make it softer and warmer
  • verb
  • /ˈʌndərˌleɪ/
translation icon : colocar bajo

Examples

  • These trousers underlay overshirt and a jacket.

  • Strong and bipartisan congressional support underlay both projects and has persisted down to the present.

    Academic text (2005)
  • I can't imagine who I would be today without the feelings of discomfort that underlay most of my undergraduate experience.

    Academic text (2016)
  • In response, other letter-writers expressed more clearly the peoplehood message that underlay MWC official statements.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The carved headpieces and the masquerade rituals provided the powerful imagery that underlay the force of the ritual oaths.

    Academic text (1994)
  • A similar desire to produce a one-volume reference work for pastors underlay the publication of Conrad Porta's Pastorale Lutheri a generation later.

    Academic text (2004)
  • They decided to underlay the new tiles with a layer of foam to prevent noise.

  • To improve insulation, we need to underlay the flooring with a thick padding.

  • The builders will underlay the roof with a protective material to prevent leaks.

How Supportive

to reinforce
99 3.9
cushion
  • Specialized
22 2.7
to underlay
1 4.8
to pad
39 3.1
to insulate
32 4.3
to line
206 5.1

Surface Forms

underlay infinitive
underlaying present participle
underlays third person singular
underlaid past
underlaid past participle

Morphology

underlay = lay (transparent) = under + lay

The verb is a straightforward prefixation of 'under' to 'lay' meaning to place beneath.

Etymology

Underlay comes from under + lay, meaning 'put beneath'. So to underlay something is to put a supporting layer under it to protect or cushion the surface above.