noun
litter
LIHT
noun
1
Rubbish or trash left lying around in a public place.
"Volunteers spent the morning picking up litter along the beach."
2
All the baby animals born to one mother at the same time.
"The dog gave birth to a litter of six puppies."
3
Granular material used to absorb a pet's waste, especially for cats.
"Don't forget to change the cat's litter box."
verb
1
To leave trash scattered around; to make a place untidy.
"Empty cans littered the sidewalk after the parade."
How to Use Litter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTrash scattered around, a group of animal babies born together, or (as a verb) to scatter mess around.
Common pairings
pick up litter
a litter of kittens
litter box
no littering
Word Forms
littered past tense, litters plural, litters singular
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Volunteers spent the morning picking up _____ along the beach.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman litere ("bedding, bed of straw"), from Latin lectus ("bed") — the sense shifted from straw bedding, to the young born on that bedding, to loose scattered material and trash.