layer

American  

[ley-er] / ˈleɪ ər /

noun

layers plural

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.

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verb (used with object)

layers, present (3rd person singular) layered, past participle, past layering present participle

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)

layers, present (3rd person singular) layered, past participle, past layering present participle

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 British  

/ 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

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verb

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

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interlayer
  noun
• layerable
  adjective
• nonlayered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• layers
  plural

Participles

• layering
  present
• layered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• layer
  simple
• layers
  simple
• have layered
  perfect
• has layered
  perfect
• am layering
  progressive
• are layering
  progressive
• is layering
  progressive
• have been layering
  perfect progressive
• has been layering
  perfect progressive

Past

• layered
  simple
• had layered
  perfect
• was layering
  progressive
• were layering
  progressive
• had been layering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will layer
  simple
• will have layered
  perfect
• will be layering
  progressive
• will have been layering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of layer

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

Explanation

The noun layer describes a thin piece that's stacked on other thin pieces, like a layer of noodles in a lasagna dish. You can also apply a layer of paint to make your wall color more vivid. Layer can also be used figuratively to describe an abstract thickness or barrier. Celebrities are known to surround themselves with managers, agents, stylists, and friends — forming a layer between them and the prying public. Layer can also be a verb. You can layer your bed with blankets on a cold night, as a layer of ice forms on the sidewalks and streets outside.

Example Sentences

Reading the proclamations reveals another layer of awful.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026

Against drone swarms in particular, this computational layer is the key.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026

Video footage collected by remotely operated submersibles revealed that microbial mats can form even in parts of the ocean far below the photic zone, the sunlit upper layer where photosynthesis occurs.

From Science Daily • Jun. 26, 2026

“In other words, it adds another layer of risks for companies to navigate.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

The puzzle pieces, called tectonic plates, sit on the asthenosphere, a layer of Earth that shifts and flows.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

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