overlay vs tile

overlay

noun
  • A covering over something else. 

  • A block of program code that is loaded over something previously loaded, so as to replace the functionality. 

  • A decal attached to a computer keyboard to relabel the keys. 

  • A pop-up covering an existing part of the display. 

  • A horse going off at higher odds than it appears to warrant, based on its past performances. 

  • A piece of paper pasted upon the tympan sheet to improve the impression by making it stronger at a particular place. 

  • A cravat. 

  • Odds which are set higher than expected or warranted. Favorable odds. 

verb
  • To lay, spread, or apply something over or across; cover. 

  • To put an overlay on. 

  • simple past tense of overlie 

  • To overwhelm; to press excessively upon. 

  • To bet too much money on. 

tile

noun
  • A rectangular graphic. 

  • Any of various flat cuboid playing pieces used in certain games, such as dominoes, Scrabble, or mahjong. 

  • A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile, etc. 

verb
  • To seal a lodge against intrusions from unauthorised people. 

  • To protect from the intrusion of the uninitiated. 

  • To arrange in a regular pattern, with adjoining edges (applied to tile-like objects, graphics, windows in a computer interface). 

  • To optimize (a loop in program code) by means of the tiling technique. 

  • To cover with tiles. 

How often have the words overlay and tile occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )