layer

American  

[lay-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
• interlayer
  verb (used with object)
• 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

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Etymology

Origin of layer

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

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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

See Examples For:

layer layers layered layering

Because these compounds break down so slowly, repairing the ozone layer takes many decades.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

Against the backdrop of economic anxiety, the delicacy’s inextricable association with extravagance added a new layer to opposition efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

The fire caused damage to rare heathland and an ancient woodland, as well as burning through a surface layer of peat in some of the boggy areas, reducing their ability to store carbon.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

But Stewart added an extra layer to her story on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

A layer of fog hung over the ocean.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

It is an important component of cell membranes, the thin outer layers that surround cells and help regulate how they interact with their environment.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

She's wrapped in layers of clothing and a heavy coat - the temperature is dropping, indoors and out.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

While that has given the company an advantage by cutting through layers of managers, it “comes at the cost of him being involved in every major decision within the company,” Goldberg said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Mass timber is made by pressing and gluing together layers of dimensional lumber, often two-by-six boards, into large panels and beams.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

He looked to be about ten or eleven years old and wore several layers of clothes to fight the winter cold.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

With its oblique lyricism and jazz-infused chords, layered over a twitchy rhythm section and 10-minute-long jams, Television was unlikely to be a commercial hit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026

The band’s trademark sound is dense, layered and lo-fi—sophisticated in terms of arrangement, but inevitably fuzzy and distorted around the edges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

“The pull to be close to one’s support system in retirement, the warm feelings of family, but also layered in is the need to lend a hand for childcare and a growing concern of eldercare.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Its three dimensional structure creates a barrier that keeps insects from reaching the plants, while the layered material still allows sunlight, rain, and air to pass through.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

When finally he slept, his dreams were layered over with an awareness of rot and the imminence of terrible danger.

From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry

“Software tends to work by building a stable layer that people can build on top of, and layering on top of that, and repeating and repeating and repeating,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The unusual layering suggested that two separate events had occurred in rapid succession.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Traditional fabrication relies on ultraprecision machinery to squeeze more circuits onto a single chip; Huawei is trying to improve computing efficiency through techniques such as layering circuits within a single chip.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Challenged with creating movements that speak to character and story, layering a bold, physical narrative over a written one, this season’s Emmy-nominated choreographers made mesmerizing scenes come to life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

By layering and connecting billions of neurons, you get a brain.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

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