Stratum
WordNet
noun
(1) An abstract place usually conceived as having depth
"A good actor communicates on several levels"
"A simile has at least two layers of meaning"
"The mind functions on many strata simultaneously"
(2) One of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From , prop. neut. of , pp. of
Noun
- One of several parallel horizontal layers of material arranged one on top of another
- A layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout
- Any of the regions of the atmosphere, such as the stratosphere, that occur as layers
- A layer of tissue
- A class of society composed of people with similar social, cultural, or economic status
- A layer of vegetation, usually of similar height.