Layer vs. Stratum — What's the Difference?

A sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several, covering a surface or body

In geology and related fields, a stratum (plural: strata) is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil, or igneous rock that was formed at the Earth's surface, with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers. The "stratum" is the fundamental unit in a stratigraphic column and forms the basis of the study of stratigraphy.

A person or thing that lays something

A horizontal layer of material, especially one of several parallel layers arranged one on top of another.

A shoot fastened down to take root while attached to the parent plant

(Geology) A bed or layer of sedimentary rock that is visually distinguishable from adjacent beds or layers.

Arrange in a layer or layers

Any of the regions of the atmosphere, such as the troposphere, that occur as layers.

Propagate (a plant) as a layer

(Biology) A layer of tissue

One that lays

A level of society composed of people with similar social, cultural, or economic status.

A hen kept for laying eggs.

One of a number of layers, levels, or divisions in an organized system

A single thickness of a material covering a surface or forming an overlying part or segment

One of several parallel horizontal layers of material arranged one on top of another.

A usually horizontal deposit or expanse; a stratum

(geology) A layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout.

A depth or level

Any of the regions of the atmosphere, such as the stratosphere, that occur as layers.

(Botany) A stem that is covered with soil for rooting while still part of the living plant.

(biology) A layer of tissue.

An item of clothing worn over or under another.

A class of society composed of people with similar social, cultural, or economic status.

To divide or form into layers

(ecology) A layer of vegetation, usually of similar height.

To cut (hair) into different, usually overlapping lengths.

(computing) The level of accuracy of a computer's clock, relative to others on the network.

(Botany) To propagate (a plant) by means of a layer.

A bed of earth or rock of one kind, formed by natural causes, and consisting usually of a series of layers, which form a rock as it lies between beds of other kinds. Also used figuratively.

To wear (clothing) in layers.

A bed or layer artificially made; a course.

To form or come apart as layers.

One of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism)

(Botany) To take root as a result of layering.

An abstract place usually conceived as having depth;

A single thickness of some material covering a surface.

An item of clothing worn under or over another.

A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum.

One of the items in a hierarchy.

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.

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

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

A hen kept to lay eggs.

A shoot of a plant, laid underground for growth.

(ambitransitive) To cut or divide into layers.

(ambitransitive) To arrange in layers.

One who, or that which, lays.

That which is laid; a stratum; a bed; one thickness, course, or fold laid over another; as, a layer of clay or of sand in the earth; a layer of bricks, or of plaster; the layers of an onion.

A shoot or twig of a plant, not detached from the stock, laid under ground for growth or propagation.

An artificial oyster bed.

Single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance;

A relatively thin sheetlike expanse or region lying over or under another

An abstract place usually conceived as having depth;

A hen that lays eggs

Thin structure composed of a single thickness of cells

Make or form a layer;