layer

American  

[ley-er] / ˈleɪ ər /

noun

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)

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)

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

• interlayer noun
• layerable adjective
• nonlayered adjective

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

But layer a catchy tune over all that artifice, and the music is the only thing many people will hear.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

Zone Zero is just one layer in a home’s fire defenses.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

A single income can also impact how much buyers feel comfortable borrowing, adding a psychological layer on top of the financial one.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

He added a new layer on Tuesday: The Fed also requires a degree of intellectual humility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

“The exhausted troops, covered with a layer of black dust sticking to their sweat, looked like devils. The tired horses...had large open sores on their backs. The heat was burning, thirst intolerable.”

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

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