layer
part of speech
noun (layer, layers); verb (layer, layers, layered, layering)
meaning for a pupil
1) A layer is one flat level of something lying on top of or under another, like a layer of a cake. tree →
2) A layer is a thin covering over a surface, like a layer of dust or paint. tree →
3) To layer is to put things in layers, like layering clothes in cold weather. tree →
4) A layer is a hen that lays eggs. tree →
sense in the lessons
equal levels: things in each layer × layers; a cake or box with layers; in science: the Earth has layers (crust, mantle, core), rocks form in layers, the air has layers; in everyday life: wear layers when it is cold; phrases: «a layer of», «the ozone layer», «layer cake»
examples
- The cake has 3 layers. tree →
- Each layer of the box holds 12 eggs. tree →
- The wall has 20 layers of bricks. tree →
- How many cans are in 4 layers? tree →
- A thin layer of dust covered the old book. tree →
- The Earth has three main layers: crust, mantle and core. tree →
- Wear layers on a cold day so you can take one off. tree →
- The ozone layer protects us from the Sun's rays. tree →
- Put a layer of jam between the two cakes. tree →
- Then the magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs. tree →
note
Layers are equal groups: total = layers × in each layer. A box of 4 layers of 3 rows of 5 holds 4 × 3 × 5. Countable: a layer, two layers.
In the corpora
- Royal news comes in layers.
- Multitrack recording puts each part on its own track, so one singer can record many layers of harmony.
- Sound designers make and mix many layers of sound so a scene feels bigger, scarier or funnier.
- An onion is a bulb whose layers are swollen leaves storing food for next year's growth.
- Penguins also keep warm with a thick layer of fat and tightly packed waterproof feathers.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «layer» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.