Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Old French
Origin: tire 'order, rank'; ATTIRE

tier

 noun
     
tier [countable]
1TBB one of several levels or layers that rise up one above the other:
The lower tier has 10,000 seats.
in tiers
Terraces of olive trees rose in tiers.
two-tiered/three-tiered etc (=having two, three etc levels or layers)
a three-tiered wedding cake
2 one of several levels in an organization or system
tier of
the most senior tier of management
the first/second etc tier
The second tier of the programme is in-house training.
a two-tier system of government
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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