Overlays

Words

All learned. See them in History.

• Backdrop

  The dark, see-through layer behind a pop-up.

• Command palette

  A search box that opens over the page, usually with Cmd+K or Ctrl+K, and lists actions you can run.

• Context menu

  A small menu of actions for one thing, opened with a right-click (or a long press on a phone).

• Drawer

  A panel that slides in from the edge of the screen, over the page, and slides back out when closed.

• Dropdown menu

  A list of choices that drops down from a button when you click it, and closes when you pick one or click away.

• Lightbox

  A photo opened large over a darkened page, so you can look at it closely.

• Mega menu

  A top-menu dropdown that opens a wide panel with many links, grouped in labeled columns.

• Modal

  A box that opens on top of the page and blocks it until you close it.

• Toast

  A small message that pops up for a few seconds to confirm something happened, then disappears on its own.

• Tooltip

  A small label that appears when you point at or focus something, to explain what it does.