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strata
1: a bed or layer artificially made2 a: a sheetlike mass of sedimentary rock or earth of one kind lying between beds of other kinds b: a region of the sea or atmosphere that is analogous to a stratum of the earth c: a layer of tissue <deep stratum of the skin> d: a layer in which archaeological material (as artifacts, skeletons, and dwelling remains) is found on excavation3 a: a part of a historical or sociological series representing a period or a stage of development b: a socioeconomic level of society comprising persons of the same or similar status especially with regard to education or culture4: one of a series of layers, levels, or gradations in an ordered system <strata of thought>5: a statistical subpopulation
usage The plural strata has occasionally been used as a singular since the 18th century and is sometimes given the plural stratas <there was a strata of Paris which mere criticism of books fails to get hold of — Ezra Pound> <a Roman burial ground suggests stratas of corruption and decay — Connie Fletcher, Booklist>. Current evidence shows senses 2, 3b, and 4 so used, with 3b the most common. Singular strata is persistent but not frequent. Strata may someday establish itself as a singular like agenda, but that use is still not established.
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