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

People sprinkled cat litter, got mats out of their own vehicles to place under the tires.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

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

Many couples say their marriage hinges on one party coming around to their spouse’s feline friends, which can mean dealing with severe rashes, smelly litter boxes and early wakeups.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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

Oslak nudged him in the back, and he took a few halting steps closer to the litter.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

The cubs' mother, Tipah, born in January 2019, is described as "independent, cheeky and inquisitive" and has produced one of the largest litters recorded for Sumatran tigers in captivity, the park said.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

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

A female typically has around six litters a year, each with up to 12 pups.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025

We were very determined to adopt from a rescue in our area, when I could have had my pick of any number of litters in, say, Southern California or Texas.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024

Our squad was on perimeter patrol while others lifted the litters onto the choppers.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

The floors of the towers are still littered with empty cans of European-made spray paint made for graffiti artists, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Stacks of books, tables littered with essays and commentaries, piles of Jewish magazines—these Orthodox homes form one of the few demographics where the printed word still thrives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

A period littered with tournament exits which only backed up the sentiment within Three Lions.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Ella gazed around at her new room: a tornado of clothes littered the floor; gigantic windows lined one wall; a desk and her own bathroom awaited her.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Most of them were issued by Cambridge City Council, which received about £83,000 from littering fines – 86% of the county's total.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Anyone who refuses to pay could face a £100 penalty or legal action, while those caught littering could be fined £1,000.

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

Fixed penalty notices of £300 can be handed out for smaller-scale offences such as littering, minor fly-tipping or failing to check a waste carrier's licence.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Lawrence listened soberly, his eyes wandering over the magnets, Tesla coils, and vacuum tubes littering the lab.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• clutter
• junk
• muck
• rubbish
• trash