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litter
/ˈlɪtər/
discarded waste left in public
Please do not litter in the park.
Do not leave trash on the ground in public areas.
general
Waste material, such as paper, bottles, or packaging, left lying in an untidy manner in a public place.
The beach was covered in plastic litter.
The shore had many discarded plastic items on it.
Often implies negligence or lack of cleanliness.
general
To leave waste material in an untidy manner in a public place.
He was fined for littering.
He was charged with leaving trash on the ground.
Used as a verb; often followed by 'on' or 'in'.
general
A group of young animals born to the same mother at one time.
The cat gave birth to a litter of kittens.
The cat had several babies at once.
Commonly used for dogs, cats, and pigs.
general
To give birth to a group of young animals.
The dog littered five puppies.
The dog gave birth to five puppies.
Less common than the noun form; often used in veterinary contexts.
Collocations
litter the groundto cover the ground with trashpick up litterto collect and remove trasha litter of puppiesa group of newborn puppies
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguish between trash and litter
Trash is waste in general; litter is specifically waste left improperly in public spaces. If you throw a wrapper in a bin, it's trash. If you drop it on the sidewalk, it's litter.
Gold Rule
Verb Usage
When using 'litter' as a verb, it is almost always followed by 'with' (e.g., 'littered with debris').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'litre', from Old French 'litiere' (bedding, mattress), from Late Latin 'lectisterium' (bedding), from Latin 'lectus' (bed). The shift from 'bedding' to 'waste' likely occurred because old bedding was often discarded or used as rough covering.
Usage Notes
As a noun, 'litter' usually refers to small pieces of trash. As a verb, it is often used in the passive voice ('the area was littered with...'). In animal contexts, it specifically refers to the offspring, not the act of birth itself (though 'to litter' is the verb for giving birth).
Word Breakdown
lit-
related to bed/bedding (historical root)
root-ter
suffix forming nouns
suffixEnglish Dictionary