layer

CEFRB1

/ˈlɛə/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A level of material or substance covering another surface.

  2. 02

    verb

    To arrange things in separate levels or layers.

Examples

  • A thin layer of dust covered everything.

  • This chart illustrates the function of ozone layer.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • [ˈleɪ̯ɚ] ~ [ˈleɪ̯ɹ̩]
  • [ˈlɛə̯] ~ [ˈlɛː]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum.

  2. A single thickness of some material covering a surface.

  3. An item of clothing worn under or over another.

More examples

In context

  • Without the ozone layer, we would be in danger.

  • After the first coat of paint dried, he applied another layer.

  • It's cold now but it will warm up this afternoon. Make sure you wear layers.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The cake had a thick blank of rich chocolate frosting on top.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Appears at first glance to be from Middle English leyer, leyare (“a layer of stones or bricks”), equivalent to lay + -er. In which case, ultimately identical to etymology 2 below. For the pronunciation compare prayer. However, this word layer (referring to a thickness of a material covering a surface) has also been argued to be from a respelling of an obsolete sense of the word lair that was once used by farmers, which had to do with soil. The connecting sense between the usual meaning of lair and the specialised farming meaning was: an area where cows typically rest, the ground being fertilised by their waste. Related to lie, ledger.