litter


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lit·ter

 (lĭt′ər)
n.
1.
a. Carelessly discarded refuse, such as wastepaper: the litter in the streets after a parade.
b. A disorderly accumulation of objects; a pile. "An iron washstand [stood] in the corner amidst a litter of soap and soiled towels" (Molly Gloss).
2. The group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal.
3.
a. Material, such as straw, used as bedding for animals.
b. An absorbent material for covering the floor of an animal's cage or litterbox.
4. An enclosed or curtained couch mounted on shafts and used to carry a single passenger.
5. A flat supporting framework, such as a piece of canvas stretched between parallel shafts, for carrying a disabled or dead person; a stretcher.
6. Fallen leaves and other decaying organic matter that make up the top layer of a forest floor.
v. lit·tered, lit·ter·ing, lit·ters
v.tr.
1. To give birth to (a litter).
2. To make untidy by discarding rubbish carelessly: Someone had littered the beach with food wrappers.
3. To scatter about: littered towels all over the locker room.
4. To be scattered about (an area): "A lot of torn envelopes and open letters littered his bed" (Joseph Conrad).
5. To include certain items such as expressions throughout (a speech or piece of writing, for example): littered his letters with the names of powerful friends.
6. Archaic To supply (animals) with litter for bedding or floor covering.
v.intr.
1. To give birth to a litter.
2. To scatter litter.

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman litere, from Medieval Latin lectāria (influenced by Old French lit, bed), from Latin lectus, bed; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]

lit′ter·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

litter

(ˈlɪtə)
n
1.
a. small refuse or waste materials carelessly dropped, esp in public places
b. (as modifier): litter bin.
2. a disordered or untidy condition or a collection of objects in this condition
3. (Zoology) a group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal such as a sow
4. (Forestry) a layer of partly decomposed leaves, twigs, etc, on the ground in a wood or forest
5. (Agriculture) straw, hay, or similar material used as bedding, protection, etc, by animals or plants
6. See cat litter
7. a means of conveying people, esp sick or wounded people, consisting of a light bed or seat held between parallel sticks
vb
8. to make (a place) untidy by strewing (refuse)
9. to scatter (objects, etc) about or (of objects) to lie around or upon (anything) in an untidy fashion
10. (Zoology) (of pigs, cats, etc) to give birth to (offspring)
11. (Agriculture) (tr) to provide (an animal or plant) with straw or hay for bedding, protection, etc
[C13 (in the sense: bed): via Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin lectus bed]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lit•ter

(ˈlɪt ər)
n.
1. objects strewn or scattered about; scattered rubbish.
2. a condition of disorder or untidiness: We were appalled at the litter of the room.
3. a number of young brought forth by a multiparous animal at one birth: a litter of six kittens.
4. a framework of cloth stretched between two parallel bars, for the transportation of a sick or wounded person; stretcher.
5. a vehicle carried by people or animals, consisting of a bed or couch, often covered and curtained, suspended between shafts.
6. straw, hay, or the like, used as bedding for animals or as protection for plants.
7. the layer of slightly decomposed organic material on the surface of the floor of the forest.
8. any of various absorbent materials used for lining a box in which a cat can eliminate waste.
v.t.
9. to strew (a place) with scattered objects, rubbish, etc.
10. to scatter (objects) in disorder.
11. to be strewn about (a place) in disorder (often fol. by up).
12. to cover (a floor or other area) with straw, hay, etc., for litter.
v.i.
13. to give birth to a litter.
14. to strew objects about: a fine for littering.
[1250–1300; Middle English litere bed, litter < Anglo-French; Old French litiere < Medieval Latin lectāria= Latin lect(us) bed]
lit′ter•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

litter

  • reckling, wallydrag - Reckling and wallydrag are both names for the runt of a litter.
  • farrow - Now the term for a litter of pigs, it originally meant "young pig," from Indo-European porkos.
  • queen - A litter-bearing female cat.
  • tantony - The smallest pig in a litter.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

litter

A basket or frame utilized for the transport of injured persons.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

Litter

 the young brought forth at one time by a sow or similar animal; a disorderly cumulation of papers; rubbish, 1730.
Examples: litter of children, 1704; of constitutions, 1796; of kittens; of lions, 1734; of opinions, 1662; of pamphlets, 1688; of pigs, 1604—Brewer, of rabbits, 1802; of sins, 1639; of whelps, 1486; of women, 1860.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

litter


Past participle: littered
Gerund: littering

Imperative
litter
litter
Present
I litter
you litter
he/she/it litters
we litter
you litter
they litter
Preterite
I littered
you littered
he/she/it littered
we littered
you littered
they littered
Present Continuous
I am littering
you are littering
he/she/it is littering
we are littering
you are littering
they are littering
Present Perfect
I have littered
you have littered
he/she/it has littered
we have littered
you have littered
they have littered
Past Continuous
I was littering
you were littering
he/she/it was littering
we were littering
you were littering
they were littering
Past Perfect
I had littered
you had littered
he/she/it had littered
we had littered
you had littered
they had littered
Future
I will litter
you will litter
he/she/it will litter
we will litter
you will litter
they will litter
Future Perfect
I will have littered
you will have littered
he/she/it will have littered
we will have littered
you will have littered
they will have littered
Future Continuous
I will be littering
you will be littering
he/she/it will be littering
we will be littering
you will be littering
they will be littering
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been littering
you have been littering
he/she/it has been littering
we have been littering
you have been littering
they have been littering
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been littering
you will have been littering
he/she/it will have been littering
we will have been littering
you will have been littering
they will have been littering
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been littering
you had been littering
he/she/it had been littering
we had been littering
you had been littering
they had been littering
Conditional
I would litter
you would litter
he/she/it would litter
we would litter
you would litter
they would litter
Past Conditional
I would have littered
you would have littered
he/she/it would have littered
we would have littered
you would have littered
they would have littered
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.litter - the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammallitter - the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal
animal group - a group of animals
2.litter - rubbish carelessly dropped or left about (especially in public places)
rubbish, trash, scrap - worthless material that is to be disposed of
3.litter - conveyance consisting of a chair or bed carried on two poles by bearers
transport, conveyance - something that serves as a means of transportation
covered couch - a litter with a cover for privacy
palankeen, palanquin - a closed litter carried on the shoulders of four bearers
sedan chair, sedan - a closed litter for one passenger
stretcher - a litter for transporting people who are ill or wounded or dead; usually consists of a sheet of canvas stretched between two poles
4.litter - material used to provide a bed for animalslitter - material used to provide a bed for animals
material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
Verb1.litter - strew; "Cigar butts littered the ground"
be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"
2.litter - make a place messy by strewing garbage around
strew, straw - spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic); "strew toys all over the carpet"
3.litter - give birth to a litter of animals
birth, give birth, bear, deliver, have - cause to be born; "My wife had twins yesterday!"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

litter

noun
1. rubbish, refuse, waste, fragments, junk, debris, shreds, garbage (chiefly U.S.), trash, muck, detritus, grot (slang) If you see litter in the corridor, pick it up.
2. jumble, mess, disorder, confusion, scatter, tangle, muddle, clutter, disarray, untidiness He pushed aside the litter of books.
3. brood, family, young, offspring, progeny a litter of puppies
4. bedding, couch, mulch, floor cover, straw-bed The birds scratch through leaf litter on the forest floor.
5. stretcher, palanquin The Colonel winced as the porters jolted the litter.
verb
1. clutter, mess up, clutter up, be scattered about, disorder, disarrange, derange Glass from broken bottles litters the pavement.
2. scatter, spread, shower, strew Concrete holiday resorts are littered across the mountainside.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

litter

noun
The offspring, as of an animal or a bird, for example, that are the result of one breeding season:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
زِبَالَةٌقَشمُهْمَلاتولادة الحيوانيُغَطّي بالمُهْمَلات
vrhodpadkystelivoležet bez ladu
kuldskraldligge og flydeaffaldhøbunke
poikueroskaroskatroskatakantotuoli
okotsmeće
alom
drasl, ruslhálmur, heysóîa út, kasta frá sér rusli; stráungahópur, urpt, got
ごみ動物の一腹子
쓰레기한배의 새끼
išmėtyti daiktaikraikasnuklotipakrataivada
drazaizsvaidītizsvaidītas lietas/papīrimetiensnekārtība
porozhadzovať odpadkystelivo
leglonastlatismetizarod
kullskräp
ขยะลูกสัตว์
lứa conrác rưởi

litter

[ˈlɪtəʳ]
A. N
1. (= rubbish) → basura f; (= papers) → papeles mpl (tirados); (= wrappings) → envases mpl
"no litter"prohibido arrojar basura
2. (= untidiness) → desorden m
in a litteren desorden
a litter of booksun montón desordenado de libros, un revoltijo de libros
3. (Zool) → camada f
4. (= vehicle) → litera f (Med) → camilla f
5. (= bedding) → lecho m, cama f de paja
6. (for animal) → lecho m de paja
see also cat B
B. VT
1. (= make untidy) to litter the streetstirar basura por la calle
to litter papers about a room; litter a room with papersesparcir papeles por un cuarto, dejar papeles esparcidos por un cuarto
he littered the floor with all his football geardejó toda la ropa de fútbol tirada por el suelo
the lorry littered the road with rubbishel camión dejó basura esparcida por toda la carretera, el camión dejó la carretera sembrada de basura
a pavement littered with papersuna acera sembrada de papeles
a room littered with booksun cuarto con libros por todas partes
a page littered with mistakesuna página plagada de errores
2. (= provide with bedding) [+ animal] → dar cama de paja a
3. (= give birth to) [animal] → parir
C. VI [cat] → parir
D. CPD litter basket, litter bin N (Brit) → papelera f
litter box N (US) = litter tray litter lout N persona que tira papeles o basura a la vía pública
litter tray N (esp Brit) lecho de arena higiénica para animales domésticos
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

litter

[ˈlɪtər]
n
(= rubbish) → détritus mpl, ordures fpl
(= young animals) → portée f
vt (= cover) → joncher
Broken glass littered the pavement → Du verre brisé jonchait le trottoir.
vi (= drop litter) → jeter des détrituslitter bin n (British)poubelle flitter box (US) litter tray (British) n [cat] → bac m à litière
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

litter

n
Abfälle pl; (= papers, wrappings)Papier nt; the park was strewn with litterder Park war mit Papier und Abfällen übersät; don’t leave or drop litter (on notice) → bitte keinen Abfall zurücklassen; a litter of booksein Haufen mBücher
(Zool) → Wurf m
(= vehicle)Sänfte f; (Med) → Tragbahre f, → Trage f
(= bedding for animals)Streu f, → Stroh nt; (for plants) → Stroh nt; (= cat litter)Katzenstreu f
vt
to be littered with something (lit, fig)mit etw übersät sein; old cans littered the countrysidealte Dosen verschandelten die Landschaft; glass from broken bottles littered the streetsGlasscherben lagen überall auf den Straßen herum; to litter a room with papersPapier(e) im Zimmer verstreuen
(= give birth to)werfen
plantabdecken; animalStreu geben (+dat)
vi
(= have young)werfen
(esp US) → Abfall wegwerfen

litter

:
litterbag
n (US) → Abfalltüte f
litter basket
nAbfallkorb m
litter bin
n (Brit) → Abfalleimer m; (hooked on) → Abfallkorb m; (bigger) → Abfalltonne f
litter box
n (US) = litter tray
litter bug, litter lout
n (inf)Dreckspatz m (inf), → Schmutzfink m (inf)
litter tray
nKatzenklo nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

litter

[ˈlɪtəʳ]
1. n
a. (rubbish) → rifiuti mpl; (papers) → cartacce fpl
b. (young animals) → nidiata, figliata; (of dogs) → cucciolata
c. (Agr) (bedding) → lettiera
2. vt (subj, person) → lasciare rifiuti in; (books, rubbish) → coprire
littered with → coperto/a di
the room was littered with books → nella stanza c'erano libri dappertutto
a pavement littered with papers → un marciapiede pieno di cartacce
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

litter

(ˈlitə(r)) noun
1. an untidy mess of paper, rubbish etc. Put your litter in that bin.
2. a heap of straw etc for animals to lie on etc.
3. a number of animals born to the same mother at the same time. a litter of kittens.
verb
to cover (the ground etc) with scattered objects. Papers littered the table.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

litter

زِبَالَةٌ, ولادة الحيوان odpadky, vrh kuld, skrald Abfall, Wurf νεογέννητα ζώα, σκουπίδια camada, desperdicios poikue, roskat détritus, portée okot, smeće cucciolata, spazzatura ごみ, 動物の一腹子 쓰레기, 한배의 새끼 nest, rommel avfall, kull miot, odpadki lixo, ninhada мусор, помет kull, skräp ขยะ, ลูกสัตว์ çöp, yeni doğmuş yavrular lứa con, rác rưởi 一窝, 垃圾
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

lit·ter

n. [stretcher] camilla;
v. tirar basura.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

litter

n (stretcher) camilla
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
He was the one little grey cub of the litter. He had bred true to the straight wolf-stock--in fact, he had bred true to old One Eye himself, physically, with but a single exception, and that was he had two eyes to his father's one.
"I will, please God," answered Sancho, and the two retiring to one side of the road set themselves to observe closely what all these moving lights might be; and very soon afterwards they made out some twenty encamisados, all on horseback, with lighted torches in their hands, the awe-inspiring aspect of whom completely extinguished the courage of Sancho, who began to chatter with his teeth like one in the cold fit of an ague; and his heart sank and his teeth chattered still more when they perceived distinctly that behind them there came a litter covered over with black and followed by six more mounted figures in mourning down to the very feet of their mules- for they could perceive plainly they were not horses by the easy pace at which they went.
When he began to come to himself out of this agony of terror, Isaac of York (for it was our old friend) was at length able to explain, that he had hired a body-guard of six men at Ashby, together with mules for carrying the litter of a sick friend.
This is the sort of thing we find in foul stables, where the litter is never properly cleaned out.
He soon saw that it was a litter, hastily made of a shutter or some such thing; and a recumbent figure upon it, and the scraps of conversation in the crowd, and a muddy bundle carried by one man, and a muddy hat carried by another, informed him that an accident had occurred.
In the centre of this pacific and fragrant cortege the black tulip was seen, carried on a litter, which was covered with white velvet and fringed with gold.
The boy merely peered into the house as he passed around it to the rear, and he saw his father and mother, at opposite corners, sleeping without covering, and, in the middle of the floor, his four naked brothers and sisters curled together in a tangle like a litter of puppies.
From all of her year she may claim One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may deny her the same.
In the centre of this crowd, the grand officers of the Brotherhood of Fools bore on their shoulders a litter more loaded down with candles than the reliquary of Sainte-Geneviève in time of pest; and on this litter shone resplendent, with crosier, cope, and mitre, the new Pope of the Fools, the bellringer of Notre-Dame, Quasimodo the hunchback.
The thing they fetched lay upon a litter borne by two men.
Advancing over the litter of gods and bones, Balatta whimpering at his heels, Bassett entered the shadow of the Red One and passed on under its gigantic overhang until he touched it with his finger- tips.
I am the Woman of Shamlegh.' She hailed hoarsely, and there came out of a cow-pen her two husbands and three others with a dooli, the rude native litter of the Hills, that they use for carrying the sick and for visits of state.