layera thickness of matter covering a surface: layers of clothing; a hen that lays eggsNot to be confused with:lair ? a wild animal?s den or resting place; a person?s hiding placeAbused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreelay·er  (l???r)n.1. a. One that lays: a tile layer.b. A hen kept for laying eggs.2. a. A single thickness of a material covering a surface or forming an overlying part or segment: a layer of dust on the windowsill; a cake with four layers.b. A usually horizontal deposit or expanse; a stratum: layers of sedimentary rock; a layer of warm air.c. A depth or level: a poem with several layers of meaning.3. Botany A stem that is covered with soil for rooting while still part of the living plant.4. An item of clothing worn over or under another.v. lay·ered, lay·er·ing, lay·ers v.tr.1. To divide or form into layers: layered gravel and charcoal to make a filter.2. To cut (hair) into different, usually overlapping lengths.3. Botany To propagate (a plant) by means of a layer.4. To wear (clothing) in layers.v.intr.1. To form or come apart as layers.2. Botany To take root as a result of layering.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.layer (?le??) n1. a thickness of some homogeneous substance, such as a stratum or a coating on a surface2. (Environmental Science) one of four or more levels of vegetation defined in ecological studies: the ground or moss layer, the field or herb layer, the shrub layer, and one or more tree layers3. (Animals) a laying hen4. (Horticulture) horticulture a. a shoot or branch rooted during layeringb. a plant produced as a result of layeringvb5. to form or make a layer of (something)6. (Horticulture) to take root or cause to take root by layering[C14 leyer, legger, from lay1 + -er1]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014lay?er (?le? ?r) n. 1. a thickness of some material laid on or spread over a surface: a layer of soot on the window sill; two layers of paint. 2. bed; stratum: alternating layers of basalt and sandstone. 3. a person or thing that lays: a carpet layer. 4. a hen kept for egg production. 5. one of several items of clothing worn one on top of the other. 6. a shoot or twig that is induced to root while still attached to the living stock, as by bending and covering with soil. 7. a person or thing that lays. v.t. 8. to make a layer of. 9. to form or arrange in layers. 10. to arrange or wear (clothing) in layers: to layer a vest over a blouse. 11. to propagate by layering. v.i. 12. to separate into or form layers. 13. (of a garment) to permit of wearing in layers; be used in layering. [1350?1400; Middle English leyer, legger. See lay1, -er1] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Layer a substance or things grouped together and lying between two other horizontal strata. See also pocket.Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.layerPast participle: layeredGerund: layeringImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativelayerlayerPresentI layeryou layerhe/she/it layerswe layeryou layerthey layerPreteriteI layeredyou layeredhe/she/it layeredwe layeredyou layeredthey layeredPresent ContinuousI am layeringyou are layeringhe/she/it is layeringwe are layeringyou are layeringthey are layeringPresent PerfectI have layeredyou have layeredhe/she/it has layeredwe have layeredyou have layeredthey have layeredPast ContinuousI was layeringyou were layeringhe/she/it was layeringwe were layeringyou were layeringthey were layeringPast PerfectI had layeredyou had layeredhe/she/it had layeredwe had layeredyou had layeredthey had layeredFutureI will layeryou will layerhe/she/it will layerwe will layeryou will layerthey will layerFuture PerfectI will have layeredyou will have layeredhe/she/it will have layeredwe will have layeredyou will have layeredthey will have layeredFuture ContinuousI will be layeringyou will be layeringhe/she/it will be layeringwe will be layeringyou will be layeringthey will be layeringPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been layeringyou have been layeringhe/she/it has been layeringwe have been layeringyou have been layeringthey have been layeringFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been layeringyou will have been layeringhe/she/it will have been layeringwe will have been layeringyou will have been layeringthey will have been layeringPast Perfect ContinuousI had been layeringyou had been layeringhe/she/it had been layeringwe had been layeringyou had been layeringthey had been layeringConditionalI would layeryou would layerhe/she/it would layerwe would layeryou would layerthey would layerPast ConditionalI would have layeredyou would have layeredhe/she/it would have layeredwe would have layeredyou would have layeredthey would have layeredCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011