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tier

 - 6 dictionary results

tier

1[teer] ,
–noun
1. one of a series of rows or ranks rising one behind or above another, as of seats in an amphitheater, boxes in a theater, guns in a man-of-war, or oars in an ancient galley.
2. one of a number of galleries, as in a theater.
3. a layer; level; stratum: The wedding cake had six tiers. All three tiers of the firm's management now report to one director.
4. Australian. a mountain range.
–verb (used with object)
5. to arrange in tiers.
–verb (used without object)
6. to rise in tiers.

Origin:
1560–70; earlier also tire, tyre, teare < MF, OF tire, tiere order, row, rank < Gmc; cf. OE, OS tīr, OHG zēri glory, adornment

ti⋅er

2[tahy-er]
–noun
1. a person or thing that ties.
2. Nautical. a short rope or band for securing a furled sail.
3. New England. a child's apron or pinafore.

Origin:
1625–35; tie + -er 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tier 1   (tîr)   
n.  
  1. One of a series of rows placed one above another: a stadium with four tiers of seats.

  2. A rank or class.

tr. & intr.v.   tiered, tier·ing, tiers
To arrange (something) into or rise in tiers: tier a wedding cake; balconies that tier upward.

[Middle English tire, row, rank, from Old French, from tirer, to draw out; see tirade.]
ti·er 2   (tī'ər)   
n.  One that ties: a tier of knots.
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

tier 
"row, rank, range," 1569, from M.Fr. tire, from O.Fr. tire "rank, sequence, order" (c.1210), probably from tirer "to draw, draw out" (see tirade). Some suggests the O.Fr. noun is from a Gmc. source akin to O.H.G. ziari, Ger. Zier "adornment," O.E. tir "glory, honor."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

tier

A grouping of securities, usually by company size or security quality. See also secondary stock.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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