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Stratum

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stra⋅tum

  [strey-tuhm, strat-uhm]
Use Stratum in a Sentence
–noun, plural stra⋅ta  [strey-tuh, strat-uh] , stra⋅tums.
1. a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers one upon another: a stratum of ancient foundations.
2. one of a number of portions or divisions likened to layers or levels: an allegory with many strata of meaning.
3. Geology. a single bed of sedimentary rock, generally consisting of one kind of matter representing continuous deposition.
4. Biology. a layer of tissue; lamella.
5. Ecology. (in a plant community) a layer of vegetation, usually of the same or similar height.
6. a layer of the ocean or the atmosphere distinguished by natural or arbitrary limits.
7. Sociology. a level or grade of a people or population with reference to social position, education, etc.: the lowest stratum of society.
8. Linguistics. (in stratificational grammar) a major subdivision of linguistic structure. Compare level (def. 17).
Origin:
1590–1600; < L strātum lit., a cover, n. use of neut. of strātus, ptp. of sternere to spread, strew, equiv. to strā- var. s. + -tus ptp. suffix

Related forms:
stratous, adjective

Usage note:
Strata, historically the plural of stratum, is occasionally used as a singular: The lowest economic strata consists of the permanently unemployable. Less frequently, a plural stratas occurs: Several stratas of settlement can be seen in the excavation. At present, these uses are not well established, and they are condemned in usage guides. Strata may eventually become part of a group of borrowed plurals that are now used as singulars in English, such as agenda and candelabra, but it is not yet in that category. See also agenda, criterion, media, phenomenon.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Stratum
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stra·tum   (strā'təm, strāt'əm)   
n.   pl. stra·ta (-tə) or stra·tums

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

  2. Geology A bed or layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout.

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

  4. Biology A layer of tissue: the epithelial stratum.

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

  6. One of a number of layers, levels, or divisions in an organized system: a complex poem with many strata of meaning.


[Latin strātum, a covering, from neuter past participle of sternere, to spread; see stratus.]
stra'tal (strāt'l) adj.
Usage Note: The standard singular form is stratum; the standard plural is strata (or sometimes stratums), not stratas.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

stratum 
"horizontal layer," 1599, from Mod.L., special use of L. stratum "thing spread out, coverlet, pavement," from neut. pp. of sternere "to spread out, lay down, stretch out," from PIE *stre-to- "to stretch, extend," from base *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: stra·tum
Pronunciation: 'strAt-&m, 'strat-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural stra·ta /'strAt-&,'strat-/
1 : a layer of tissue stratum of the skin>
2 : a statistical subpopulation
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

stratum stra·tum (strā'təm, strāt'əm)
n. pl. stra·tums or stra·ta (-tə)

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

  2. Any of the layers of differentiated tissue forming an anatomical structure.

stra'tal (-təl) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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