litter

UK: /ˈlɪtə^r/ US: /ˈlɪtɚ/ ,(lit′ər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lit•ter /ˈlɪtɚ/   n. 

1. rubbish scattered about:
   [uncountable] streets full of litter.
2. a condition of disorder or untidiness:
   [uncountable] We were appalled at the litter in the room.
3. Zoology the group of young born to an animal at one birth:
   [countable] a litter of six kittens.
4. [countable] a framework of cloth stretched between two parallel bars, for carrying a sick or wounded person;
   stretcher.
5. [countable] a vehicle carried by people or animals, made up of a couch hung between two parallel bars.
6. [uncountable] straw, hay, or the like, used as bedding for animals or as protection for plants.
7. [uncountable] any of various absorbent materials, as clay pellets, used for lining a box in which a cat can eliminate waste.

v. 

8. to throw scattered objects, rubbish, etc., on (a place): [~ + object]
   to be fined for littering the sidewalk.
   [no object]
   He was given a fine for littering.
9. [~ + object] to scatter (objects) in disorder.
10. to be scattered about (a place) in disorder:
    [~ + object] Bits of paper littered the floor.

lit•ter•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lit•ter  (lit′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. Zoology 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. See cat litter. 
9. Idioms pick of the litter:
   • the best or choicest of the animals, esp. puppies, in a litter.
   • the best of any class, group, or available selection.

v.t. 

10. to strew (a place) with scattered objects, rubbish, etc.:
    to be fined for littering the sidewalk.
11. to scatter (objects) in disorder:
    They littered their toys from one end of the playroom to the other.
12. to be strewn about (a place) in disorder (often fol. by up):
    Bits of paper littered the floor.
13. Zoology to give birth to (young), as a multiparous animal.
14. to supply (an animal) with litter for a bed.
15. to use (straw, hay, etc.) for litter.
16. to cover (a floor or other area) with straw, hay, etc., for litter.

v.i. 

17. Zoology to give birth to a litter:
    The cat had littered in the closet.
18. to strew objects about:
    If you litter, you may be fined.

• Medieval Latin lectāria, equivalent. to Latin lect(us) bed + -āria feminine of -ārius -er²
• Anglo-French; Old French litiere
• Middle English litere bed, litter 1250–1300

lit′ter•er, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. clutter.
• 3. See brood. 
• 10. mess (up).
• 11. disarrange, derange.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

litter / ˈlɪtə/ noun

1. small refuse or waste materials carelessly dropped, esp in public places
2. (as modifier): litter bin
3. a disordered or untidy condition or a collection of objects in this condition
4. a group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal such as a sow
5. a layer of partly decomposed leaves, twigs, etc, on the ground in a wood or forest
6. straw, hay, or similar material used as bedding, protection, etc, by animals or plants
7. See cat litter
8. a means of conveying people, esp sick or wounded people, consisting of a light bed or seat held between parallel sticks

verb

1. to make (a place) untidy by strewing (refuse)
2. to scatter (objects, etc) about or (of objects) to lie around or upon (anything) in an untidy fashion
3. (of pigs, cats, etc) to give birth to (offspring)
4. (transitive) to provide (an animal or plant) with straw or hay for bedding, protection, etc

Etymology: 13th Century (in the sense: bed): via Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin lectus bed