su·per·im·pose
su pər ihm poz
transitive verb
to set or lay on top of or above something.
example: We superimposed a grid on the original map.
example: They have tried to superimpose a new culture on the old one.
Editor’s Note: When one thing is superimposed on another, usually both are still visible. Below right, the image of a skull has been superimposed on a portrait of Beethoven. Below left, text has been superimposed on an image. When “superimpose” is used in a more metaphorical or abstract sense, as in the example above of superimposing a new culture on an old one, there is often an implication of superficiality or artificiality; the old culture is, so to speak, still visible.
