[ˈleɪə], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several, covering a surface or body
(e.g: arrange a layer of aubergines in a dish)

- a person or thing that lays something
(e.g: the majority of fish are egg-layers)

- a shoot fastened down to take root while attached to the parent plant
(e.g: they can be increased from cuttings and layers)


Phrases:

Origin:
Middle English (denoting a mason): from lay + -er. The sense ‘stratum of material covering a surface’ (early 17th century) may represent a respelling of an obsolete agricultural use of lair denoting quality of soil

[ˈleɪə], (Verb)

Definitions:
- arrange in a layer or layers
(e.g: in an ovenproof dish layer the potato and courgette slices)

- propagate (a plant) as a layer


Phrases:

Origin:
Middle English (denoting a mason): from lay + -er. The sense ‘stratum of material covering a surface’ (early 17th century) may represent a respelling of an obsolete agricultural use of lair denoting quality of soil