Onlay

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A material placed such that it overlaps another. attributive, countable, often, uncountable

    "Umbilical hernias in many centers are best managed with the use of polypropylene mesh placed in the onlay position or Ventralex-type mesh (Bard Davol) placed intraperitoneally in patients under local anesthesia in a day-surgery setting."

  2. 2
    A restoration that covers one or more cusps of a tooth. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To lay or place something on a surface. literary, transitive

Example

More examples

"Umbilical hernias in many centers are best managed with the use of polypropylene mesh placed in the onlay position or Ventralex-type mesh (Bard Davol) placed intraperitoneally in patients under local anesthesia in a day-surgery setting."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English onleien, onleggen (“to lay or place; impose; attack”). Equivalent to on- + lay.

Etymology 2

From on- + lay.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.