Litter Definition

lĭtər
littered, littering, litters
noun
litters
A framework set on poles for transporting dignitaries, etc., having a canopied couch and typically carried by servants.
Webster's New World
Carelessly discarded refuse, such as wastepaper.
The litter in the streets after a parade.
American Heritage
A stretcher for carrying the sick or wounded.
Webster's New World
A disorderly accumulation of objects; a pile.
American Heritage
The group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal.
American Heritage Medicine
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb
littered, littering, litters
To bear a litter of young.
Webster's New World
To bring forth (a number of young) at one time.
Webster's New World
To make messy with things scattered about.
Webster's New World
To scatter about.
Littered towels all over the locker room.
American Heritage
To supply with a bed, covering, etc. of straw, hay, or the like.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
idiom
the pick of the litter
  • the best or most desirable puppy, kitten, etc. of a single litter
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Litter

Noun

Singular:
litter
Plural:
litters

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Litter

Origin of Litter

  • From French litière, from lit (“bed"), from Latin lectus; confer Ancient Greek λέκτρον (lektron). Had the sense "˜bed' in very early English, but then came to mean "˜portable couch', "˜bedding', "˜strewn rushes (for animals)'...

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Anglo-Norman litere from Medieval Latin lectāria (influenced by Old French lit bed) from Latin lectus bed legh- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Anglo-Norman litere from Medieval Latin lectāria (influenced by Old French lit bed) from Latin lectus bed legh- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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