litter

Meanings

A platform mounted on two shafts, or a more elaborate construction, designed to be carried by two (or more) people to transport one (in luxury models sometimes more) third person(s) or (occasionally in the elaborate version) a cargo, such as a religious idol.
The offspring of a mammal born in one birth.
Material used as bedding for animals.
Collectively, items discarded on the ground.
Absorbent material used in an animal's litter tray
Layer of fallen leaves and similar organic matter in a forest floor.
A covering of straw for plants.

To drop or throw trash without properly disposing of it (as discarding in public areas rather than trash receptacles).
To scatter carelessly about.
To strew (a place) with scattered articles.
To give birth to, used of animals.
To produce a litter of young.
To supply (cattle etc.) with litter; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall.
To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make one's bed in litter.

From Anglo-Norman litiere (modern French litière), from Medieval Latin lectaria, from Latin lectus; confer Ancient Greek λέκτρον. Had the sense ‘bed’ in very early English, but then came to mean ‘portable couch’, ‘bedding’, ‘strewn rushes (for animals)’, etc.

Explore and search massive catalog of over 900,000 word meanings.

Get a curated memorable word every day.

Level up your vocabulary by setting personal goals.

Try out Vedaist now.