layer

[ley-er]

noun

1. a thickness of some material laid on or spread over a surface.

   a layer of soot on the windowsill; two layers of paint.

2. something lying over or under something else; a level or tier.

   There can be multiple layers of metaphor in a single poem.

3. a bed; stratum.

   alternating layers of basalt and sandstone.

4. a person or thing that lays (often used in combination): a bricklayer.

   a carpet layer;

   a bricklayer.

5. a hen kept for egg production.

6. one of several items of clothing worn one on top of the other.

7. Horticulture.

   1. a shoot or twig that is induced to root while still attached to the living stock, as by bending and covering with soil.

   2. a plant so propagated.

8. Ropemaking.,  a machine for laying rope or cable.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a layer of.

2. to form or arrange in layers.

3. to arrange or wear (clothing) in layers.

   You can layer this vest over a blouse or sweater.

4. to cut (hair) in overlapping layers of different lengths.

   My hairdresser insisted on layering my hair at my last visit—I rather like it this way.

5. Horticulture.,  to propagate by layering.

verb (used without object)

1. to separate into or form layers.

2. (of a garment) to permit of wearing in layers; be used in layering.

   Frilly blouses don't layer well.

layer

/ ˈleɪə /

noun

1. a thickness of some homogeneous substance, such as a stratum or a coating on a surface

2. one of four or more levels of vegetation defined in ecological studies: the ground or moss layer, the field or herb layer, the shrub layer, and one or more tree layers

3. a laying hen

4. horticulture

   1. a shoot or branch rooted during layering

   2. a plant produced as a result of layering

verb

1. to form or make a layer of (something)

2. to take root or cause to take root by layering

Other Word Forms

• layerable adjective
• interlayer verb (used with object)
• nonlayered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of layer¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English leyer, legger; lay ¹, -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of layer¹

C14 leyer, legger, from _lay ¹ + _-er ¹

Example Sentences

There is a dedicated pick-up and drop-off area at the festival's Blue Gate, and it can be located with What3Words: layers, patrol, bills.

From BBC

“These cases are layered, meticulous, require months of investigation,” said Johnson during a news conference.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s also a certified wilderness first responder, adding an extra layer of preparedness to the group’s outdoor events.

From Los Angeles Times

Birchwood Community High School introduced pouches to lock phones last September and head teacher Emma Mills has previously said the affect has been "immense" in "every layer of school".

From BBC

"Climate change, disturbance to ocean layers and extreme weather are all threats," explains co-author Prof Angus Atkinson from Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

From BBC

Related Words

• bed 
• blanket 
• coat 
• floor 
• row 
• sheet 
• slab 
• thickness