layer

/ˈleɪər/

/ˈleɪə/

Other forms: layers; layered; layering

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.

Definitions of layer

1. noun

   single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance
   synonyms: bed

   types:

   backing, mount

   something forming a back that is added for strengthening

   blanket

   a layer of lead surrounding the highly reactive core of a nuclear reactor

   course, row

   (construction) a layer of masonry

   cushion

   the layer of air that supports a hovercraft or similar vehicle

   interlayer

   a layer placed between other layers

   lift

   one of the layers forming the heel of a shoe or boot

   overlay

   a layer of decorative material (such as gold leaf or wood veneer) applied over a surface

   ply

   (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood

   tier

   one of two or more layers one atop another

   wall

   a layer of material that encloses space

   damp course, damp-proof course

   a course of some impermeable material laid in the foundation walls of building near the ground to prevent dampness from rising into the building

   row of bricks

   a course of bricks place next to each other (usually in a straight line)

   top lift

   the bottom layer of a heel

   type of:

   artefact, artifact

   a man-made object taken as a whole
2. noun

   a relatively thin sheetlike expanse or region lying over or under another
   types:

   stratum

   one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)

   asthenosphere

   the lower layer of the crust

   chromosphere

   a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere (extending from the photosphere to the corona) that is visible during a total eclipse of the sun

   Earth's crust, crust

   the outer layer of the Earth

   exosphere

   the outermost atmospheric layer

   hydrosphere

   the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor

   geosphere, lithosphere

   the solid part of the Earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle

   lower mantle

   the deeper part of the mantle

   mantle

   the layer of the earth between the crust and the core

   mesosphere

   the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere

   ozone layer, ozonosphere

   a layer in the stratosphere (at approximately 20 miles) that contains a concentration of ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet radiation from the sun

   stratosphere

   the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere

   Earth's surface, surface

   the outermost level of the land or sea

   thermosphere

   the atmospheric layer between the mesosphere and the exosphere

   tropopause

   the region of discontinuity between the troposphere and the stratosphere

   troposphere

   the lowest atmospheric layer; from 4 to 11 miles high (depending on latitude)

   upper mantle

   the upper part of the mantle

   cell wall

   a rigid layer of polysaccharides enclosing the membrane of plant and prokaryotic cells; maintains the shape of the cell and serves as a protective barrier

   snow

   a layer of snowflakes (white crystals of frozen water) covering the ground

   cuticle, epidermis

   the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates

   corneum, horny layer, stratum corneum

   the outermost layer of the epidermis consisting of dead cells that slough off

   stratum lucidum

   the layer of epidermis immediately under the stratum corneum in the skin of the palms and soles

   stratum granulosum

   the layer of epidermis just under the stratum corneum or (on the palms and soles) just under the stratum lucidum; contains cells (with visible granules) that die and move to the surface

   malpighian layer, rete Malpighii, stratum basale, stratum germinativum

   the innermost layer of the epidermis

   corium, derma, dermis

   the deep vascular inner layer of the skin

   cambium

   the inner layer of the periosteum

   paries, wall

   (anatomy) a layer (a lining or membrane) that encloses a structure

   substrate, substratum

   any stratum or layer lying underneath another

   superstrate, superstratum

   any stratum or layer superimposed on another

   horizon

   a specific layer or stratum of soil or subsoil in a vertical cross section of land

   bed, seam

   a stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with profit

   bed

   (geology) a stratum of rock (especially sedimentary rock)

   floor

   the bottom surface of any lake or other body of water

   floor

   the lower inside surface of any hollow structure

   horst

   a ridge of the earth's crust that has been forced upward between two faults and so is higher than the surrounding land

   crustal plate, plate

   a rigid layer of the Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly

   corn snow

   granular snow formed by alternate thawing and freezing

   crud

   heavy wet snow that is unsuitable for skiing

   type of:

   part, region

   the extended spatial location of something
3. noun

   thin structure composed of a single thickness of cells
   types:

   blastoderm, blastodisc, germinal area, germinal disc

   a layer of cells on the inside of the blastula

   hypodermis

   layer of cells that secretes the chitinous cuticle in e.g. arthropods

   type of:

   anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure

   a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing
4. noun

   an abstract place usually conceived as having depth
   “a simile has at least two layers of meaning”

   synonyms: level, stratum

   type of:

   place

   an abstract mental location
5. verb

   make or form a layer
   “layer the different colored sands”

   type of:

   forge, form, mold, mould, shape, work

   make something, usually for a specific function
6. noun

   a hen that lays eggs
   type of:

   biddy, hen

   adult female chicken