layer

1. 1

   A single thickness of some material covering a surface.

   • Wrap the loaf in two layers of aluminum foil before putting it in the oven.
   • After the first coat of paint dried, he applied another layer.
2. 2

   A single thickness of some material covering a surface.; An item of clothing worn under or over another.

   • It's cold now but it will warm up this afternoon. Make sure you wear layers.
3. 3

   A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum.

   • I find seven-layer cake a bit too rich.
4. 4

   One of the items in a hierarchy.

   • mired in layers of deceit
5. 5

   One in a stack of (initially transparent) drawing surfaces that comprise an image; used to keep elements of an image separate so that they can be modified independently from one another.

6. 6

   One of the seven network switch pieces in the Open Systems Interconnection model: application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical.

7. 7

   An alternative keymap accessed through a modifier key or toggle.

syn. lay

1. 1

   To cut or divide into layers.ambitransitive

2. 2

   To arrange in layers.ambitransitive

   • Layer the ribbons on top of one another to make an attractive pattern.

1. 1

   A person who lays anything, such as tiles or a wager.

   • If fortune ever favoured any venturesome layer of bets, Tom Elliot was certainly the one that day.
2. 2

   A mature female bird, insect, etc. that is able to lay eggs.

   • As for which hen we'll cull for next Sunday's dinner, we certainly won't eat Henrietta yet — she's still a prime layer.
   • When dealing with an infestation of headlice, the first step is to eliminate the layers.
3. 3

   A mature female bird, insect, etc. that is able to lay eggs.; A hen kept to lay eggs; a breed of chicken bred to maximize laying output.

   • We keep a flock of layers and flock of broilers.
4. 4

   A shoot of a plant, laid underground for growth.