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litter

[ lit-er ]
/ ˈlɪt ər /
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See synonyms for: litter / littered / littering on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
to give birth to a litter: The cat had littered in the closet.
to strew objects about: If you litter, you may be fined.

OTHER WORDS FOR litter

9 mess (up).
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Idioms about litter

    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.

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 -er2

synonym study for litter

3. See brood.

OTHER WORDS FROM litter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH litter

letter, lighter, liter, litter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use litter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for litter

litter
/ (ˈlɪtə) /

noun
verb

Word Origin for litter

C13 (in the sense: bed): via Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin lectus bed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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