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litter
lit·ter
/ ˈlitər/
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n.
1.
trash, such as paper, cans, and bottles, that is left lying in an open or public place:
fines for dropping litter.
∎ [in sing.]
an untidy collection of things lying about:
a litter of sleeping bags on the floor.
2.
the group of young animals born to an animal at one time:
a litter of five kittens.
3.
material forming a surface-covering layer, in particular:
∎
(also cat litter )
granular absorbent material lining a tray where a cat can urinate and defecate when indoors.
∎
straw or other plant matter used as bedding for animals.
∎
(also leaf litter)
decomposing but recognizable leaves and other debris forming a layer on top of the soil, esp. in forests.
4.
hist.
a vehicle containing a bed or seat enclosed by curtains and carried on men's shoulders or by animals.
∎
a stretcher, for transporting the sick and wounded.
•
v. [tr.]
1.
make (a place) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about:
clothes and newspapers littered the floor.
∎ (usu. be littered)
leave (rubbish or a number of objects) lying untidily in a place:
there was broken glass littered about.
∎ (usu. be littered with) fig.
fill (a text, history, etc.) with examples of something unpleasant:
news pages have been littered with doom and gloom about company collapses.
2.
archaic
provide (a horse or other animal) with litter as bedding.
DERIVATIVES:
lit·ter·er n.
litter |
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Cite this article
"litter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "litter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-litter.html "litter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-litter.html |
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litter
litter †bed XIII; portable couch XIV; straw, etc., for bedding; number of young brought forth at a birth XV; disorderly accumulation of things XVIII. — AN. litere, (O)F. litière :- medL. lectāria, f. lectus bed; see LIE1.
Hence vb. furnish (horse, etc.) with litter XIV. bring forth (young) XV; strew with or as litter XVIII. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "litter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "litter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-litter.html T. F. HOAD. "litter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-litter.html |
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Litter
Litterthe young brought forth at one time by a sow or similar animal; a disorderly cumulation of papers; rubbish, 1730. Examples: litter of children, 1704; of constitutions, 1796; of kittens; of lions, 1734; of opinions, 1662; of pamphlets, 1688; of pigs, 1604—Brewer, of rabbits, 1802; of sins, 1639; of whelps, 1486; of women, 1860. |
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Cite this article
"Litter." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Litter." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300926.html "Litter." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300926.html |
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litter
litter Dead organic matter in the soil that has not yet decomposed. It consists of fallen leaves and other plant remains (leaf litter), animal excrement, etc. After decomposition by decomposers and detritivores litter becomes humus.
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Cite this article
"litter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "litter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-litter.html "litter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-litter.html |
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litter
litter (L-layer) An accumulation of dead plant remains on the soil surface.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-litter.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-litter.html |
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litter
litter(L-layer) An accumulation of dead plant remains on the soil surface.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-litter.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-litter.html |
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litter
litter (L-layer) Accumulation of dead plant remains on the soil surface.
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-litter.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "litter." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-litter.html |
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litter
litter •bitter, committer, critter, embitter, emitter, fitter, flitter, fritter, glitter, gritter, hitter, jitter, knitter, litter, permitter, pitta, quitter, remitter, sitter, skitter, slitter, spitter, splitter, submitter, titter, transmitter, twitter, witter
•drifter, grifter, lifter, shifter, sifter, snifter, uplifter
•constrictor, contradictor, depicter, dicta, evictor, inflicter, predictor, victor
•filter, kilter, philtre (US philter), quilter, tilter
•Jacinta, midwinter, Minter, Pinta, Pinter, printer, splinter, sprinter, tinter, winter
•sphincter
•assister, ballista, bistre (US bister), blister, enlister, glister, lister, mister, resistor, Sandinista, sister, transistor, tryster, twister, vista
•trickster
•minster, spinster
•hipster, quipster, tipster
•cohabiter • arbiter • presbyter
•exhibitor, inhibitor, prohibiter
•Manchester • Chichester • Silchester
•Rochester • Colchester
•creditor, editor, subeditor
•auditor • Perdita • taffeta • shopfitter
•forfeiter • outfitter • counterfeiter
•register • marketer
•cricketer, picketer
•Alistair • weightlifter • filleter
•fillister • shoplifter
•diameter, heptameter, hexameter, parameter, pentameter, tetrameter
•Axminster • Westminster
•limiter, perimeter, scimitar, velocimeter
•accelerometer, anemometer, barometer, gasometer, geometer, manometer, micrometer, milometer, olfactometer, optometer, pedometer, photometer, pyrometer, speedometer, swingometer, tachometer, thermometer
•Kidderminster • janitor
•banister, canister
•primogenitor, progenitor, senator
•administer, maladminister, minister, sinister
•monitor • per capita • carpenter
•spanakopita • Jupiter • trumpeter
•character • barrister • ferreter
•teleprinter
•chorister, forester
•interpreter, misinterpreter
•capacitor • ancestor • Exeter
•stepsister
•elicitor, solicitor
•babysitter • house-sitter • bullshitter
•competitor • catheter • harvester
•riveter • banqueter • non sequitur
•loquitur
•inquisitor, visitor
•compositor, expositor
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Cite this article
"litter." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "litter." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-litter.html "litter." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-litter.html |
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