Lewis & Short

sŭper-pōno, pŏsŭi, pŏsĭtum, 3, v. a., to put or place over or upon, to set up (perh. not ante-Aug.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: superpositum capiti decus (i. e. pileus), Liv. 1, 34: altissimam turrim congestis pilis, Suet. Claud. 20 fin.: statuam marmoream Jano, id. Aug. 31: villam profluenti, Col. 1, 5, 4; cf.: villa colli superposita, Suet. Galb. 4: ut omnis materia jugo superponatur, Col. 4, 25, 4: vitis, quae uno jugo superponatur, id. 5, 5, 15: aegra superpositā membra fovere manu, Ov. H. 21, 190: desertis Africae duas Aethiopias superponunt, place above or beyond, Plin. 5, 8, 8, § 43; cf.: Galatia superposita, situated above, id. 5, 32, 42, § 146: hominis collo superpositum, Capitol. Max. et Balb. 9; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 27.
      With abl.: arx asperi montis interruptā planitie superposita, Amm. 24, 2, 12.
    2. B. In partic., medic. t. t., to lay on, apply a plaster or the like, Cels. 5, 26, 35; Plin. 29, 6, 38, § 126; 32, 7, 24, § 75: emplastrum loco dolenti, Scrib. Comp. 206.
  2. II. Trop., to place over or above.
    1. A. To place or set over, of official station, etc.: Perperna in maritimam regionem superpositus, Liv. Fragm. Libr. 91: ut unus de presbyteris superponeretur ceteris, Hier. in Ep. ad Tit. 1, 5: puer super hoc positus officium, Petr. 56: T. FLAVIO SVPERPOSITO MEDICORVM, president, Inscr. Grut. 581, 7.
    2. * B. To place before, prefer: Stoici volunt superponere huic etiam aliud genus magis principale, Sen. Ep. 58, 13.
    3. C. To place after, postpone: (ante gesta) levioribus superponenda sunt, Quint. 9, 4, 25: summum est enim … huic deinde aliquid superpositum, id. 8, 4, 6; Col. 3, 10, 7.