June 13, 2011 - litter (noun) - What does it mean? - 1 : animal
offspring of one birth2 : stretcher3 : rubbish4 : material to
absorb animal waste - How do you use it? - Before boarding the
bus for home, Devon and his fellow campers made sure that all
litter was picked up and deposited in trash cans. - Are you a
word wiz? "Litter" has several different meanings, but they all
go back to one household item. What do you think that item
is?You weren't caught napping if you picked B. "Lit," the French
word for "bed," produced "litiere," which could refer to any
sleeping place, but was usually applied to either a curtained
portable couch or to straw spread on the ground as a sleeping
place for animals. When borrowed into English, the "bedding for
animals" sense was extended to the offspring of an animal that
gives birth to a number of young all at once. By the 18th
century, the meaning of "litter" was extended further to include
any odds and ends of rubbish lying around. The absorbent
material often called "kitty li