Tier
/tɪər/noun
A row, level, or rank in a series arranged one above or behind another.
Did you know?English tier originally referred to one of three rows or divisions, reflecting its descent from the Latin ordinal meaning “third.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tréyes
“Three”
Ancient Greek
Greek
treîs
“Three”
Classical Latin
Latin
tertius
“Third; the third in sequence”
12th–13th Century
Old French
tier
“Third; one-third”
14th Century
Middle English
tier
“A row or rank, especially one of three”
Modern English
English
tier
“A level or row in an arranged series”