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tier¹

(tîr)

1. One of a series of rows placed one above another: a stadium with four tiers of seats.

2. A rank or class.

tr. & intr.v. tiered, tier·ing, tiers

To arrange (something) into or rise in tiers: tier a wedding cake; balconies that tier upward.

[Middle English tire, row, rank, from Old French, from tirer, to draw out; see TIRADE.]

ti·er²

(tīər)

One that ties: a tier of knots.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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