stratum
/ˈstɹeɪ.təm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.67 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout.
noun
Any of the regions of the atmosphere, such as the stratosphere, that occur as layers.
noun
A layer of vegetation, usually of similar height.
noun
A historical layer of a language.
Example Sentences
- "It is built of alternate strata of brick and clay, and the sides correspond to the direction of the meridians and parallels."
- "He describes the operation thus: "The heavy ram employed to impart the finishing strokes, hoisted up with double purchase and snail's pace to the summit of the Piling Engine, and then falling down like a thunderbolt on the head of the devoted timber, driving it perhaps a single half inch in to the stratum below, is well calculated to put to the test the virtue of patience, while it illustrates the old adage of—slow and sure.""
- "An illuminating article in a recent issue of the Eastern Region's Civil Engineering News points out that where coal is worked over a reasonably large area, it is not only the whole of the strata above the workings, but also an area beyond which is liable to subside at varying rates after the coal has been removed."
- "Computers that synchronize themselves to the stratum 1 time servers are known as stratum 2 time servers if they allow others to synchronize to them, and so on."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
- Root: *sterh₃-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈstɹeɪ.təm/
- British English: /ˈstɹɑː.təm/