layer
layer Lexical Profile
layer Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A single thickness of some material covering a surface or forming an overlying part or segment.
"The geological team analyzed a dense layer of sedimentary rock dating back millions of years."
A person or thing that lays something, such as a worker who lays bricks or a hen kept for laying eggs.
"The farm recently purchased a new flock of high-yield egg layers."
A shoot or twig of a plant fixed in the earth to take root while still attached to the parent plant.
"The gardener used a layer from the old blackberry bush to propagate a new section of the hedge."
• verb
To arrange or form something in a series of distinct thicknesses, levels, or overlapping strata.
"You should layer your clothing in cold weather to trap body heat effectively."
To cut hair in overlapping levels so that the outer strands are shorter than the inner ones.
"The stylist decided to layer her hair to give it more volume and movement."
To propagate a plant by bending a stem down and covering a portion of it with soil so that it takes root.
"The botanist demonstrated how to layer the vines to encourage independent root systems."
• Rhymes for layer
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English 'leier', derived from the verb 'lay' + '-er'. It originally referred to a person who lays things (like bricks or stones), later expanding in the early 17th century to mean a distinct thickness or stratum laid over a surface.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.