# litter

Pronunciation: US say "LIT-ur" /ˈlɪt.ɚ/; UK say "LIT-uh" /ˈlɪt.ə/

## Noun

1. Trash and waste left lying scattered on the ground, especially in public places.
   - Simple: Trash that people leave or throw on the ground.
   - _City workers fined people who dropped litter near the train station._
   - _Strong winds carried litter from the overflowing bins into the river._
2. The whole group of young born to a mammal at a single birth.
   - Simple: All the baby animals born to one mother at the same time.
   - _The breeder kept careful records of every litter the spaniel produced._
   - _Each litter of piglets was weighed within hours of being born._
4. Loose absorbent material such as clay pellets or wood chips used to soak up the waste of pet animals.
   - Simple: Loose material like clay or wood chips that soaks up the waste of pet animals.
   - _The pet store recommended an unscented litter for sensitive cats._
   - _He scooped the soiled litter into a bag each evening._
5. Loose material such as straw or grass spread out as bedding for people or animals.
   - Simple: Loose material such as straw or grass used as a bed for people or animals.
   - _Each stall was lined with clean litter before the horses arrived._
   - _The shepherd raked the old litter from the lambing pen._
6. Dead leaves and other loose organic matter that build up in a layer on the forest floor.
   - Simple: The layer of fallen leaves and bits of plants lying on a forest floor.
   - _Beetles and worms break down the litter that accumulates each autumn._
   - _Researchers measured how quickly the forest litter decomposed after a wet season._
9. Bedding material such as straw mixed together with the dung of the animals that lay on it.
   - Simple: Animal bedding mixed together with the animal's droppings.
   - _Composted litter from the cattle shed enriched the vegetable beds._
   - _Workers shoveled the wet litter out of the barn before refilling it._
10. A portable bed or couch carried on poles resting on the shoulders of bearers or the backs of animals.
   - Simple: A bed or seat carried on poles by people or animals.
   - _The aging emperor toured his provinces from the comfort of a curtained litter._
   - _Four porters set the litter down gently at the foot of the temple steps._
11. The general class of human- or animal-borne carrying vehicles, including sedan chairs, hammock litters, and similar conveyances.
   - Simple: Any seat or bed carried on poles to move a person from place to place.
   - _Travelers of rank chose a litter over horseback when the roads were too rough for wheels._
   - _Each litter in the procession was borne on the shoulders of four men._
12. A stretcher-like device for carrying the sick or injured, including types held by hand.
   - Simple: A simple frame or bed used to carry someone who is sick or hurt.
   - _Rescuers strapped the injured climber to a litter before the descent._
   - _Field hospitals kept several litters ready for the steady arrival of casualties._

## Verb

3. To drop or throw trash on the ground rather than placing it in a proper container.
   - Simple: To throw trash on the ground instead of in a trash can.
   - _Visitors who litter along the trail face a steep penalty._
   - _Teachers reminded the students not to litter on the way home._
7. To scatter objects carelessly around a place.
   - Simple: To throw things around a place in a messy way.
   - _Please don't litter your papers across the shared table._
   - _The storm littered broken branches along the entire road._
8. To strew a place with scattered objects, leaving it covered in clutter.
   - Simple: To cover a place with scattered things.
   - _Please don't litter the hallway with your gear during practice._
   - _Vandals littered the square with shattered glass overnight._
13. To produce young at a single birth, as animals such as dogs and cats do.
   - Simple: To give birth to a group of baby animals.
   - _Wolves typically litter four to six pups in a sheltered den._
   - _The barn cat littered a brood of kittens behind the hay bales._
14. To produce a group of offspring at a single birth.
   - Simple: To have several baby animals at the same time.
   - _Healthy sows litter once or twice a year._
   - _The barn cats littered earlier than usual._
15. To supply animals with bedding, or to cover a stall floor with straw and similar material.
   - Simple: To spread straw or other bedding on the floor for animals.
   - _The grooms littered the stable with clean bracken every morning._
   - _Workers litter each pen with sawdust to keep the animals dry._
17. To sleep or make one's bed in loose bedding such as straw.
   - Simple: To sleep on straw or other loose bedding, or to make a bed in it.
   - _The herders litter beside their animals when the nights turn cold._
   - _Pilgrims littered together in the great hall, wrapped in their cloaks._

## Noun

16. A bed or layer formed from loose materials such as straw, leaves, or scattered plant matter. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A bed or surface made from loose materials like straw or leaves.
   - _The hens scratched together a litter of straw in the corner of the coop._
   - _A thick litter of dried fern served as the shepherd's bed._
18. Straw, grass, and similar plant material, especially as used in plaster, thatch, and mulch. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Straw, grass, and similar dried plants, used in things like thatch and mulch.
   - _The builders bound the plaster with chopped litter before it dried._
   - _A layer of litter laid across the beams formed the cottage's thatch._
19. A bed, especially a heap of straw covered with blankets and used for sleeping. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A bed made from a pile of straw, often with blankets on top.
20. The single act in which an animal gives birth to several live young at once. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The event of giving birth to several baby animals at one time.

## Origin

From Middle English litere, from Anglo-Norman litere and Old French litiere ("bedding; bed of loose straw"), from Late Latin lectuaria ("bedding; blankets"), ultimately from Latin lectus ("bed; couch"). It is related to French lit and litière and traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to lie down".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/litter (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).