layer
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
-
single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance
-
synonyms:
bed
-
types:
- show 13 types...
- hide 13 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
-
a relatively thin sheetlike expanse or region lying over or under another
-
types:
- show 38 types...
- hide 38 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
-
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
-
blastoderm, blastodisc, germinal area, germinal disc
-
an abstract place usually conceived as having depth
-
make or form a layer
-
a hen that lays eggs
Pronunciation
US
/ˈleɪər/
UK
/ˈleɪə/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘layer'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing layer
The Mark of Athena
With help from Roman demigods, Annabeth must use her wits to retrieve the stolen statue of Athena. Now test your wits against these words from Rick Riordan.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up layer for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
