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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

layer layers layered layering

Gibney also profiled Holmes in his 2019 work “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” which adds another layer of coincidental symmetry: Fielder’s film hits theaters on Oct.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

The expansive grounds also provide an added layer of privacy, shielding the property from its surrounding neighborhood.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Either Mg-suite magmas formed on the far side without substantial involvement from KREEP-rich material, or the layer containing these elements developed unevenly across the Moon, leaving the two hemispheres with different chemical compositions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Now a full member, he’s unleashed a new layer of invention, reflecting Mastodon’s obsession with a certain kind of mid-’70s prog rock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

A CDO composed of nothing but the riskiest, mezzanine layer of subprime mortgages was not called a subprime-backed CDO but a “structured finance CDO.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

This moment of peril illustrates the layers making up the modern battlefield.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Because NLRs and TKPs appear to activate plant defenses through different mechanisms, using them together could create several layers of protection.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

Since July, hundreds of experts and soldiers have been working to unearth layers of remains at the park, aided by bulldozers, excavators and water pumps but often sifting through the mud by hand.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

As sphagnum grows, its lower layers are compressed by the weight above.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Crandell, and Mullineaux with him, dug through layers of rock and soil, seeing how ash from previous eruptions changed the ground.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

“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

His paintings and ceramics are layered and collage-like, driven by instinct rather than by a predestined end point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 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

“The value proposition actually has to get layered in with running better stores and also making sure that our e-commerce offer is hitting where we want,” Foran told analysts recently.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

So they layered cynicism atop their longing, and it was something like laying laughter over the darkness—self-preservation of an uglier stripe.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

“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

Ms. Lee almost never uses figurative language—similes, metaphors, symbolism or anything that gives prose layering and subtext.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

To demonstrate, Weger starts layering a mannequin in her bedroom, picking from racks of clothes, handbags, color-coordinated shoes and jewelry nearby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Mama kept an eye on both of us as we moved on to peeling sweet potatoes, then layering them in the pan.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---