stratum
Use Stratum in a sentence
təm, ˈstræt noun, plural stra·ta [strey-tuh, strat-uh] , stra·tums.
[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; < Latin strātum literally, a cover, noun use of neuter of strātus, past participle of sternere to spread, strew, equivalent to strā- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix
1590–1600; < Latin strātum literally, a cover, noun use of neuter of strātus, past participle of sternere to spread, strew, equivalent to strā- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
stra·tous, 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.
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. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To stratum
00:10
Stratum
is always a great word to know.
So is percolation. Does it mean:
| rich soil containing a relatively equal mixture of sand, silt and a smaller proportion of clay |
| slow movement of water through the pores in soil or permeable rock |
Collins
World English Dictionary
stratum (ˈstrɑːtəm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -ta, -tums | |
| 1. | (usually plural) any of the distinct layers into which sedimentary rocks are divided |
| 2. | biology a single layer of tissue or cells |
| 3. | a layer of any material, esp one of several parallel layers |
| 4. | a layer of ocean or atmosphere either naturally or arbitrarily demarcated |
| 5. | a level of a social hierarchy that is distinguished according to such criteria as educational achievement or caste status |
| [C16: via New Latin from Latin: something strewn, from sternere to scatter] | |
| 'stratal | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
stratum stra·tum (strā'təm, strāt'əm)
n. pl. stra·tums or stra·ta (-tə)
A horizontal layer of material, especially one of several parallel layers arranged one on top of another.
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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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| stratum (strā'təm, strāt'əm) Pronunciation Key
Plural strata or stratums
|
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Hiding underneath, a layer of smoked date purée added a stratum of sweetness to the savory.
They represent an entirely different social stratum than do the poor and illiterate workers toiling in sweatshops.
The limestone stratum formed long before the river came into the picture.
Nearly all emanate from one stratum of the art world: the one where the money is.
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