1a sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several, covering a surface or body:arrange a layer of aubergines in a dish
a level of seniority in the hierarchy of an organization:a managerial layer
2 [in combination] a person or thing that lays something:the majority of fish are egg-layers
3a shoot fastened down to take root while attached to the parent plant:they can be increased from cuttings and layers
verb
[with object] (often as adjective layered)
1arrange in a layer or layers:the current trend for layered clothes
cut (hair) in overlapping layers:her layered, shoulder-length hair
2propagate (a plant) as a layer:a layered shoot
Origin:
Middle English (denoting a mason): from lay1+ -er1. The sense 'stratum of material covering a surface' (early 17th century) may represent a respelling of an obsolete agricultural use of lair1 denoting quality of soil
