Tier, n. [Perhaps fr. OF. tire, F. tire; probably of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. ziarī ornament, G. zier, AS. tīr glory, tiér row, rank. But cf. also F. tirer to draw, pull; of Teutonic origin. Cf. Attire, v. t., Tire a headdress, but also Tirade.].

A row or rank, especially one of two or more rows placed one above, or higher than, another; as, a tier of seats in a theater. [1913 Webster]

Tiers of a cable, the ranges of fakes, or windings, of a cable, laid one within another when coiled.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tier, n.
1 a row or rank or unit of a structure, as one of several placed one above another (tiers of seats).
2 Naut. a a circle of coiled cable. b a place for a coiled cable.

Derivative

tiered adj. (also in comb.).

Etymology

earlier tire f. F f. tirer draw, elongate f. Rmc

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THESAURUS

Tier

Indian file, array, articulation, band, bank, bed, bedding, belt, buzz, category, catena, catenation, chain, chain reaction, chaining, concatenation, connection, consecution, continuum, couche, course, cycle, deck, descent, drone, echelon, endless belt, endless round, file, filiation, floor, gallery, gamut, gradation, grade, group, grouping, hum, layer, league, ledge, level, line, lineage, measures, monotone, nexus, order, overlayer, overstory, pendulum, periodicity, pigeonhole, plenum, powder train, progression, queue, range, rank, recurrence, reticulation, rotation, round, routine, row, run, scale, seam, sequence, series, shelf, single file, spectrum, stage, step, story, stratum, string, substratum, succession, superstratum, swath, thickness, thread, topsoil, train, underlayer, understory, understratum, windrow, zone

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ROGET THESAURUS

Tier

Continuity

N continuity, consecution, consecutiveness, succession, round, suite, progression, series, train chain, catenation, concatenation, scale, gradation, course, ceaselessness, constant flow, unbroken extent, procession, column, retinue, cortege, cavalcade, rank and file, line of battle, array, pedigree, genealogy, lineage, race, ancestry, descent, family, house, line, line of ancestors, strain, rank, file, line, row, range, tier, string, thread, team, suit, colonnade, continuous, continued, consecutive, progressive, gradual, serial, successive, immediate, unbroken, entire, linear, in a line, in a row, uninterrupted, unintermitting, unremitting, unrelenting (perseverence), perennial, evergreen, constant, continuously, seriatim, in a line, in succession, in turn, running, gradually, step by step, gradatim, at a stretch, in file, in column, in single file, in Indian file.

Layer

N layer, stratum, strata, course, bed, zone, substratum, substrata, floor, flag, stage, story, tier, slab, escarpment, table, tablet, dess, flagstone, board, plank, trencher, platter, plate, lamina, lamella, sheet, foil, wafer, scale, flake, peel, coat, pellicle, membrane, film, leaf, slice, shive, cut, rasher, shaving, integument, eschar, stratification, scaliness, nest of boxes, coats of an onion, monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, lamellar, lamellated, lamelliform, layered, laminated, laminiferous, micaceous, schistose, schistous, scaly, filmy, membranous, pellicular, flaky, squamous, foliated, foliaceous, stratified, stratiform, tabular, discoid, spathic, spathose, trilamellar, graphitic.

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