tier

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈtɪə/ 🇺🇸 /ˈtiːr/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A row or level in a series of rows or levels arranged one above another, such as in a stadium, theater, or wedding cake.; A rank or level in a hierarchy or classification system.; A person or thing that ties or binds something.; A horizontal row of bricks, stones, or similar building materials in a wall or structure.; A group of ships or boats moored side by side.
  2. verb
    To arrange or place in tiers; to form into rows or levels one above another.; To rise in tiers or levels.
  3. noun
    In architecture, a horizontal division of a building facade or structure, often marked by a change in design or material.; In computing or technology, a level in a multi-tier architecture, such as a presentation tier, application tier, or data tier.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: tiers 3rd sing.: tiers Past: tiered Past part.: tiered Pres part.: tiering

Collocations

top tiertier onetier systemtiered structureupper tierlower tiertier list

Derivatives

tieredtieringmulti-tiermulti-tieredtop-tier

Synonyms

levelrankgradelayerstratumechelon

Commonly confused

tear
EN: 'Tier' refers to a level or rank in a hierarchy; 'tear' is either a drop of liquid from the eye or a rip in material.
tiered
EN: 'Tiered' is the adjective/past participle form meaning arranged in levels; 'tier' is the noun or base verb form.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'tier' with 'tear' (homophone in some dialects). Remember it has only one 'r' and ends in '-ier'.

💬 Examples

  1. The upper tier of the stadium offered a panoramic view of the field.

  2. The company offers three tiers of membership: basic, premium, and elite.

  3. The tier of the package used a strong rope to secure the bundle.

  4. Each tier of bricks was carefully aligned with the one below it.

  5. A tier of fishing boats lined the harbor at dawn.

  6. The seats were tiered so that every audience member had a clear view.

  7. The hills tiered upward toward the distant mountains.

  8. The cathedral's facade was divided into three distinct tiers, each adorned with different sculptural elements.

  9. The application uses a three-tier architecture separating the user interface, business logic, and database.