Monday 13 October 2008

Synonyms

The word "Litter" is quite amazing when you look it up. It appears to be one of the most overused combinations of syllables in the English language - covering meanings from garbage to stretcher to animal babies. Dictionary.com:

Litter

9 dictionary results for: litter
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
lit•ter [lit-er] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1. objects strewn or scattered about; scattered rubbish.
2. a condition of disorder or untidiness: We were appalled at the litter of the room.
3. a number of young brought forth by a multiparous animal at one birth: a litter of six kittens.
4. a framework of cloth stretched between two parallel bars, for the transportation of a sick or wounded person; stretcher.
5. a vehicle carried by people or animals, consisting of a bed or couch, often covered and curtained, suspended between shafts.
6. straw, hay, or the like, used as bedding for animals or as protection for plants.
7. the layer of slightly decomposed organic material on the surface of the floor of the forest.
8. CAT LITTER.

–verb (used with object)
9. to strew (a place) with scattered objects, rubbish, etc.: to be fined for littering the sidewalk.
10. to scatter (objects) in disorder: They littered their toys from one end of the playroom to the other.
11. to be strewn about (a place) in disorder (often fol. by up): Bits of paper littered the floor.
12. to give birth to (young), as a multiparous animal.
13. to supply (an animal) with litter for a bed.
14. to use (straw, hay, etc.) for litter.
15. to cover (a floor or other area) with straw, hay, etc., for litter.
–verb (used without object)
16. to give birth to a litter: The cat had littered in the closet.
17. to strew objects about: If you litter, you may be fined.
—Idiom
18. pick of the litter,
a. the best or choicest of the animals, esp. puppies, in a litter.
b. the best of any class, group, or available selection.


[Origin: 1250–1300; ME litere bed, litter < AF; OF litiere < ML lectāria, equiv. to L lect(us) bed + -āria fem. of -ārius -ER2 ]

—Related forms
lit•ter•er, noun

2 comments:

Yeonni said...

Couldn't it just be defined as an "unorganized cluster of unspecified objects" in all cases? Um, except for the vehicle carried by people.

Kat said...

possibly...