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)

1. to arrange in tiers.

verb (used without object)

1. to rise in tiers.

tier

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.

tier

¹

/ ˈtaɪə /

noun

1. a person or thing that ties

tier

²

/ tɪə /

noun

1. one of a set of rows placed one above and behind the other, such as theatre seats
2. 1. a layer or level
   2. ( in combination )

      a three-tier cake

3. a rank, order, or row

verb

1. to be or arrange in tiers

Word History and Origins

Origin of tier¹

First recorded in 1560–70; earlier also tire, tyre, teare, from Middle French, Old French tire, tiere “order, row, rank,” from Germanic; compare Old English, Old Saxon tīr, Old High German zēri “glory, adornment”

Origin of tier²

First recorded in 1625–35; tie + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tier¹

C16: from Old French tire rank, of Germanic origin; compare Old English tīr embellishment

Example Sentences

Netflix — best known for shows including “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things” — recently said its cheaper ad-supported tier reached 70 million monthly active users, up from 40 million in May.

From Los Angeles Times

The company said more than half of new sign-ups in countries where Netflix offers ads are for the cheaper ad-subscription tier.

From Los Angeles Times

If they finish second, England will instead face a two-leg play-off and a potential return to the top tier of the Uefa Nations League.

From BBC

Rumors of Freevee’s demise spread after the company made the new ad tier the default for Prime Video users, but Amazon denied the speculation early this year.

From Los Angeles Times

When combined with the requisite first month’s rent and security deposit in a city boasting some of the steepest rents on the planet, broker fees make moving in New York a cost-prohibitive luxury available to a select tier of renters with above-average access to cash.

From Salon

Related Words

• category
• layer
• row