Definition of litter
1a : a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger a litter carried on the shoulders of four men — Edwin Tunisb : a device (such as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person The wounded soldier was carried to the rear by litter.
2a (1) : material used as bedding for animals Fibrous peat was used as litter for livestock. (2) : material used to absorb the urine and feces of animalsb : the uppermost slightly decayed layer of organic matter on the forest floor
3 : the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal a litter of puppies
4a : trash, wastepaper, or garbage lying scattered about trying to clean up the roadside litterb : an untidy accumulation of objects a shabby writing-desk covered with a litter of yellowish dusty documents — Joseph Conrad
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Examples of litter in a Sentence
We decided to pick up the litter in the park.
Her desk was covered with a litter of legal documents.
Illustration of litter
Origin and Etymology of litter
Middle English, from Anglo-French litere, from lit bed, from Latin lectus — more at lie
First Known Use: 14th century
litter
Definition of litter
transitive verb
1 : bed 1a
2 : to give birth to a litter of (young)
3a : to strew with scattered articlesb : to scatter about in disorderc : to lie about in disorder their upside-down hats littered the top of the bar — Michael Chabond : to mark with objects scattered at random a book littered with misprints
intransitive verb
1 : to give birth to a litter
2 : to strew litter
Examples of litter in a Sentence
Paper and popcorn littered the streets after the parade.
a desk littered with old letters and bills
It is illegal to litter.
He had to pay a fine for littering.
Origin and Etymology of litter
see 1litter
First Known Use: 14th century
LITTER Defined for English Language Learners
litter
playDefinition of litter for English Language Learners
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: things that have been thrown away and that are lying on the ground in a public place
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: a messy pile or group of things
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: dry material that is spread in a container and used as a toilet by animals (especially cats) while they are indoors
litter
Definition of litter for English Language Learners
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: to cover (a surface) with many things in an untidy way
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: to throw or leave trash on the ground in a public place
LITTER Defined for Kids
Definition of litter for Students
1 : the young born to an animal at a single time a litter of pigs
2 : a messy collection of things scattered about : trash We picked up the litter in our neighborhood.
3 : material used to soak up the urine and feces of animals
4 : a covered and curtained couch having poles and used for carrying a single passenger
5 : a stretcher for carrying a sick or wounded person
History for litter
The different meanings of the word litter all grew out of the basic notion “bed.” In Old French, litiere, a derivative of lit, “bed,” could refer to a sleeping place in a general way, but it was more typically applied to either a curtained portable couch, or to straw spread on the ground as a sleeping place for animals. In borrowing the word, English kept both usages and added new ones. The “bedding for animals” sense was extended to the offspring of an animal such as a dog. In a different direction, litter became not just straw for animal bedding, but straw or similar material spread around for any purpose, and by the 1700s any odds and ends of rubbish lying scattered about.
Definition of litter for Students
littered
;littering
1 : to throw or leave trash on the ground
2 : to cover in an untidy way Leaves littered the yard.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of litter
1: a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
2: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal
litter
Medical Definition of litter
: to give birth to a litter of (young)
intransitive verb
: to give birth to a litter
Learn More about litter
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See words that rhyme with litter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for litter Spanish Central: Translation of litter Nglish: Translation of litter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of litter for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about litter
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