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
• 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

Fund it with appreciated stock instead of cash and you add another layer.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

"We believe vaccination has the potential to provide an important new layer of protection against this debilitating disease," Pfizer's chief vaccines officer, Annaliesa Anderson, said in a joint statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The duo layer backing tracks until they seemingly collapse, like the dueling accenting rhythms of “Soledad” or the spacey and spectacular “Sensación,” which reaches a level of yearning that Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” couldn’t buy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

This second layer is based on manganese and begins forming at about ~720 mV.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Penelope used one of her own pocket handkerchiefs to wipe the thick layer of dust from the atlas.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

If you cut through the Sun's layers, deep inside is the core where the temperature is 15 million Celsius.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"Under slow warming, the entire ocean, from the surface down to its deepest layers, has time to gradually reorganize and adapt to the changing conditions," says co-author Henk Dijkstra, professor of Dynamical Oceanography.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Most every character, whichever side they’re on — and it’s not always easy to tell, given that the aliens look exactly like the humans — comes with layers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

For Rideaux, the tattoos have layers of meaning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

It was the kind makeup artists used, with shelves of little trays that folded out to reveal more layers of shelves.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

It’s a true crime story on some level but Goode says the series is more layered and complex than his previous projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Part of the problem is a lack of layered characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Over time, material such as pollen, sand, plant remains, and organic matter settles at the bottom of a lake, building a layered record of past environmental conditions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

But the defenders have become better at holding their ground and hunting down infiltrators, as well as at defending against Russian midrange drones with a layered system of detection, electronic interference and small interceptor drones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

The weather has turned brutally cold and damp; even under my two thick blankets, I'm layered in extra clothes and my coat.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

The horizontal layering allows some seismic waves to travel long distances, while the vertical intrusions appear to disrupt and weaken others.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Quijada and Robinson invite us into the process of making their musical, constructing the show’s soundscape and musical score in real time by recording musical phrases into a looping station and layering in sound.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

From the scaffolding, restorers have been meticulously filling in damaged portions of the frescoes and conservatively layering paint over bare sections with delicate brushes, their hands protected by gloves.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Continue layering until you reach the top of your cup.

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

He goes back to his charts, writing words and adding fresh arrows on top of what is already there, layering his thoughts so thick, only he can decipher them.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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