stratum
noun
[ ˈstrɑːtəm ]
• a layer or a series of layers of rock in the ground.
• "a stratum of flint"
• a level or class to which people are assigned according to their social status, education, or income.
• "members of other social strata"
Similar:
level,
class,
echelon,
rank,
grade,
station,
gradation,
group,
set,
bracket,
caste,
estate,
sphere,
Origin:
late 16th century (in the sense ‘layer or coat of a substance’): modern Latin, from Latin, literally ‘something spread or laid down’, neuter past participle of sternere ‘strew’.
