stratum
part of speech
noun (a stratum, strata)
meaning for a pupil
1) (science) A stratum is one layer of rock or soil lying on top of another. tree →
2) A stratum is a layer of anything, such as the air or the sea. tree →
3) (formal) A stratum is a level or class of people in a society. tree →
sense in the lessons
In geography and science lessons strata are the layers you see in cliffs and canyons such as the Grand Canyon; lower strata are usually older, so they help scientists date fossils. In social studies it means a group at one level of wealth or power. Phrases: rock strata, social stratum, the upper strata.
examples
- Each stratum of rock in the cliff was a different colour. tree →
- The fossil was found in a stratum of limestone. tree →
- The Grand Canyon shows hundreds of strata. tree →
- The lowest stratum of rock is usually the oldest. tree →
- A thin stratum of ash came from an ancient volcano. tree →
- (formal) The book is about people from every stratum of society. tree →
- Clouds can form in a stratum of cold air. tree →
note
Plural strata (Latin), not «stratums». People often use «strata» as if it were singular; in careful writing say «one stratum, many strata». Related: stratosphere, stratus clouds.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «stratum» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.