litters
|lit-ters|
🇺🇸
/ˈlɪtərz/
🇬🇧
/ˈlɪtəz/
(litter)
scattered waste
Etymology
'litter' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'litiere', where 'lit' meant 'bed' (from Latin 'lectus').
'litter' changed from Old French 'litiere' into Middle English 'litter' and eventually became the modern English word 'litter'.
Initially, it meant 'bed' or 'a portable couch/bedding'; over time it came to mean 'bedding material', then 'material scattered about', and later also 'rubbish left lying around' and 'a group of young born at one birth'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'litter' meaning rubbish or waste left scattered in public places.
City crews picked up the litters along the riverbank.
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Noun 2
plural form of 'litter' meaning groups of young animals born at one birth (more than one such group).
The breeder reported several healthy litters this season.
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Noun 3
plural form of 'litter' meaning bedding material (straw, shavings, etc.) used for animals (more than one batch or kind).
They ordered new litters for the stables before winter.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present form of 'litter' meaning to leave rubbish scattered (he/she/it scatters trash).
He often litters the picnic area with empty bottles.
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Last updated: 2025/11/03 05:20