litter

American  

[lit-er] / ˈlɪt ər /

noun

litters plural

1. objects strewn or scattered about; scattered rubbish.

2. a condition of disorder or untidiness.

   We were appalled at the litter of the room.

   Synonyms:

   clutter

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. cat litter.

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verb (used with object)

litters, present (3rd person singular) littered, past participle, past littering present participle

1. to strew (a place) with scattered objects, rubbish, etc..

   to be fined for littering the sidewalk.

2. to scatter (objects) in disorder.

   They littered their toys from one end of the playroom to the other.

   Synonyms:

   derange, disarrange

3. to be strewn about (a place) in disorder (often followed byup ).

   Bits of paper littered the floor.

4. to give birth to (young), as a multiparous animal.

5. to supply (an animal) with litter for a bed.

6. to use (straw, hay, etc.) for litter.

7. to cover (a floor or other area) with straw, hay, etc., for litter.

verb (used without object)

litters, present (3rd person singular) littered, past participle, past littering present participle

1. to give birth to a litter.

   The cat had littered in the closet.

2. to strew objects about.

   If you litter, you may be fined.

idioms

1. pick of the litter,

   1. the best or choicest of the animals, especially puppies, in a litter.

   2. the best of any class, group, or available selection.

litter British  

/ ˈlɪtə /

noun

1. 1. small refuse or waste materials carelessly dropped, esp in public places

   2. ( as modifier )

      litter bin

2. a disordered or untidy condition or a collection of objects in this condition

3. a group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal such as a sow

4. a layer of partly decomposed leaves, twigs, etc, on the ground in a wood or forest

5. 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

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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. (tr) to provide (an animal or plant) with straw or hay for bedding, protection, etc

Synonym Usage

See brood.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• litterer
  noun
• de-litter
  verb (used with object)
• antilitter
  adjective
• antilittering
  adjective
• unlittered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• litters
  plural

Participles

• littering
  present
• littered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• litter
  simple
• litters
  simple
• have littered
  perfect
• has littered
  perfect
• am littering
  progressive
• are littering
  progressive
• is littering
  progressive
• have been littering
  perfect progressive
• has been littering
  perfect progressive

Past

• littered
  simple
• had littered
  perfect
• was littering
  progressive
• were littering
  progressive
• had been littering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will litter
  simple
• will have littered
  perfect
• will be littering
  progressive
• will have been littering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of litter

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English litere “bed, litter,” from Anglo-French; Old French litiere, from Medieval Latin lectāria, equivalent to Latin lect(us) “bed” + -āria feminine of -ārius noun suffix; see -er ²

Explanation

If everyone decided to litter, or drop trash on the ground, the world would be covered in garbage. Litter doesn't always have to be trashy though. When a cat has kittens, they are born as a litter. Don't be confused when you go to England and see the word litter written all over garbage cans. That's just the Brits' way of saying trash. The word litter comes from the Old French litiere meaning "bed." Animals like dogs or cats have their offspring all in one birth, or on the same bed, making what we call a litter, or group of babies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

litter litters littered littering

Some evacuees have brought their cats and dogs with them, and bags of pet food and cat litter have been made available.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

After the landmark went viral on a TikTok video with more than one million views, nearby residents claimed they had been "suffering" because of the traffic and litter problems.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The researchers focused on the species Armadillo sordidus, a little studied isopod that typically spends its time hidden beneath rocks and damp leaf litter, where moisture helps prevent it from drying out.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

Kiki was one of a litter of seven, with most going on to race.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

“Natalie’s a teenager,” Emma said as she dug the scoop into the litter.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

It is the only other highly ranked "monotocous" species, meaning it typically produces a single offspring per pregnancy rather than litters.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

Mother Laila has had three previous litters with breeding partner Yarko as part of the sanctuary's breeding programme.

From BBC ● May 29, 2025

Lunar base inhabitants might also require metal and they could even harvest this from the dusty grey debris that litters the lunar surface.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025

For example, females born in litters with many males become masculinized, likely from the high testosterone levels in the mother’s uterus.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024

They were brought out on litters, “seated on their thrones and surrounded by pages and women with flywhisks in their hands, who ministered to them with as much respect as if they had been alive.’

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

A picture taken by him 10 years later in Titusville shows a field littered with derricks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

His career has been littered with individual records in club football: most Ballons d'Or, Barcelona's all-time leading scorer, most La Liga goals, most goals in a calendar year, and most official recorded assists.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Letterboxd’s “popular with friends” feature would likely be littered with streaming slop.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Pieces of red lockers littered the parking lot.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

The clay shards of the gunner’s jars littered the desert floor, along with the broken birdcages.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

In an effort to combat vandalism, including the destruction of iron security gates on deep-water chambers and persistent littering, the company introduced the £2 charge.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

"A number of factors can affect water quality. It is certainly not just about water companies. Weather, animal poo, road-run-off and littering are all to blame."

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The party also wants an annual "national action day" to help "rekindle civic pride" and more action to tackle littering connected to fast food outlets.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

A gaping hole appeared in the terminal roof, with debris littering the floor and structural elements exposed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Yellow leaves were falling everywhere, littering the ground like a carpet rolled out for the approaching footsteps of the end of time.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• clutter
• junk
• muck
• rubbish
• trash