litter

Definitions


[ˈlɪtə], (Noun)

Definitions:
- rubbish such as paper, cans, and bottles left lying in an open or public place
(e.g: always clear up after a picnic and never drop litter)

- a number of young animals born to an animal at one time
(e.g: a litter of five kittens)

- absorbent material, typically in granular form, used to line a shallow receptacle in which a cat can urinate and defecate when indoors
(e.g: a plastic litter tray)

- straw or other plant matter used as bedding for animals
(e.g: the plant burns discarded litter from poultry farms)

- a structure used to transport people, containing a bed or seat enclosed by curtains and carried on men's shoulders or by animals


Phrases:

Origin:
Middle English (in litter): from Old French litiere, from medieval Latin lectaria, from Latin lectus ‘bed’. Sense 1 dates from the mid 18th century


[ˈlɪtə], (Verb)

Definitions:
- make (a place or area) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about
(e.g: clothes and newspapers littered the floor)

- provide (a horse or other animal) with litter as bedding


Phrases:

Origin:
Middle English (in litter): from Old French litiere, from medieval Latin lectaria, from Latin lectus ‘bed’. Sense 1 dates from the mid 18th century




definition by Oxford Dictionaries