litter
/ˈlɪtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈli-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈlɪt.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪt̬.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
litter — 名詞
- littersingular
- littersplural
1. waste material such as empty drinks containers, food wrappers, and cigarette end
垃圾
公共場所地面上的廢棄物
waste material such as empty drinks containers, food wrappers, and cigarette ends that people drop and leave on streets or in parks rather than putting in a bin.
Tomás picked up the litter left by careless visitors to the park.
Tomás 撿起了公園裡粗心遊客留下的垃圾。
pick up litter
The city council installed more bins to reduce litter on main streets.
市政府增設了更多垃圾桶，以減少主要街道上的垃圾。
After the concert, volunteers filled several bags with litter from the stadium.
演唱會結束後，志工們從體育館撿了好幾袋垃圾。
Litter blowing across the beach made it an unpleasant place for families.
海灘上到處飛揚的垃圾讓這裡成了不適合家庭前往的地方。
Élise was upset to see litter floating in the river near her apartment.
Élise 看到公寓附近的河裡漂著垃圾，心裡很不舒服。
用法筆記
Often appears on public signs and anti-littering campaigns. In American English, the material itself is often called 'trash' or 'garbage', but 'litter' is still used for waste that has been dropped carelessly outdoors.
常見錯誤
2. the group of babies that a female animal gives birth to in a single birth, espec
一窩
同胎出生的動物寶寶
the group of babies that a female animal gives birth to in a single birth, especially for mammals such as dogs, cats, pigs, or rabbits.
The farmer's dog gave birth to a litter of six healthy puppies last night.
農夫的狗昨晚生了一窩六隻健康的小狗。
a litter of [animal babies]
Hiro chose the smallest kitten from the litter and took it home that evening.
Hiro 從那窩小貓中挑了最小的那隻，當天晚上帶回了家。
A mother pig will feed her entire litter several times during the day.
母豬一天內要餵好幾次整窩的小豬。
The vet weighed each puppy in the litter to check their health.
獸醫替那窩小狗逐一秤重，檢查牠們的健康狀況。
用法筆記
Used for animals that typically give birth to multiple offspring at once. Not used for animals that usually have single births such as cows, horses, or humans.
常見錯誤
3. soft, dry plant material such as straw or hay that is spread on the floor of a s
墊料
給動物鋪睡用的乾草
soft, dry plant material such as straw or hay that is spread on the floor of a stable, hutch, or coop for animals to sleep or rest on.
The stable hands spread fresh straw litter in the horse stalls each morning.
馬伕每天早上在馬廄裡鋪上新鮮的稻草墊料。
spread fresh straw litter
Rabbits need clean, dry litter in their hutches to stay warm and healthy.
兔子的籠子裡需要乾淨乾燥的墊料，才能保持溫暖健康。
Yuki changed the soiled litter in the chicken coop every few days.
Yuki 每隔幾天就會更換雞舍裡的髒墊料。
Cole bought a fresh bale of straw to use as litter for the goats.
Cole 買了一捆新鮮的稻草來給山羊當墊料。
用法筆記
Older sense from which the other meanings of 'litter' historically developed. In modern use, 'bedding' is more common for this meaning among pet owners.
4. dry, grain-like material sold in bags, placed inside a shallow box so that pet c
貓砂
放在盆中供寵物大小便用
dry, grain-like material sold in bags, placed inside a shallow box so that pet cats and other small animals can go to the toilet indoors.
Diya scooped the used litter from the cat's box and threw it in the bin.
Diya 把貓砂盆裡用過的貓砂舀出來丟進垃圾桶。
scoop the litter / cat's litter box
The pet store sells a special litter that absorbs moisture and controls smell.
寵物店販售一種能吸收水分並控制氣味的特殊貓砂。
Selim taught his kitten to use the litter box from the very first day.
Selim 從第一天就教他的小貓使用貓砂盆。
Some brands of cat litter are made from recycled paper or wood fibres.
有些品牌的貓砂是用回收紙張或木纖維製成的。
用法筆記
Almost always used in compound forms: 'cat litter', 'litter box', or 'litter tray'. The material itself is sold in bags specifically labelled as cat litter.
常見錯誤
5. a messy group of objects that are lying around without any order in a room, on a
雜物
四處散落的雜亂物品
a messy group of objects that are lying around without any order in a room, on a surface, or in a space.
A litter of old newspapers and empty cups covered the teenager's desk.
桌上散亂放著舊報紙和空杯子，堆得滿滿的。
a litter of [objects]
Ritu cleared the litter of cables and phone chargers from the living room floor.
Ritu 把客廳地板上一堆亂七八糟的電線和充電器收拾乾淨。
On the workbench lay a litter of screws, nails, and wood shavings.
工作檯上散落著螺絲、釘子和木屑，一片雜亂。
A litter of art supplies spread across the entire studio floor.
整間工作室的地板上到處散落著美術用品。
用法筆記
Similar to sense 1 but refers to any messy collection of objects, not just waste material. Can be used for indoor spaces and non-waste items.
6. a seat with a cover, carried on poles by people walking, used in past centuries
轎子
由人扛抬的古代交通工具
a seat with a cover, carried on poles by people walking, used in past centuries to move wealthy or important persons from one place to another.
In ancient China, officials were carried through the streets in a silk-covered litter.
在古中國，官員乘坐著絲綢轎子在街上經過。
carried in a litter
The museum displayed a beautifully carved wooden litter from the seventeenth century.
博物館展出一個雕刻精美的十七世紀木製轎子。
Four servants lifted the royal litter onto their shoulders and began walking steadily.
四名僕人把皇家轎子扛到肩上，然後穩步前行。
The queen refused to walk and insisted on being carried in her litter.
女王不肯走路，堅持要乘坐轎子讓人抬著走。
- sedan chair
a specific type of enclosed litter for one person, common in European history
- palanquin
an Asian type of covered litter carried by four or six bearers
用法筆記
This historical sense survives mainly in museum descriptions, historical novels, and travel writing about traditional cultures.
litter — 動詞
- litterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- litters3rd person singular
- littering-ing form
- litteredpast simple
1. to leave waste lying on streets, in parks, or in other public spaces instead of
亂丟
在公共場所隨意丟棄廢物
to leave waste lying on streets, in parks, or in other public spaces instead of disposing of it correctly in a bin.
Please do not litter — put your empty bottle in the recycling bin provided.
請勿亂丟垃圾——把你的空瓶放進提供的回收桶裡。
litter — imperative / 'do not litter'
Maeve was fined one hundred dollars for littering in the national park.
Maeve 因為在國家公園內亂丟垃圾被罰了一百美元。
fined for littering
A sign at the park entrance warned visitors not to litter on the trails.
公園入口處的告示牌警告遊客不要在步道上亂丟垃圾。
Littering the beach with cigarette ends and plastic bags harms wildlife.
在海灘上亂丟菸蒂和塑膠袋會傷害野生動物。
- scatter rubbish
more descriptive and less common in signage
- drop litter
verb + noun phrase rather than a single verb
- clean up
to remove waste and restore tidiness to an area
文法句型
litter + [place]
No littering
用法筆記
Very common in negative imperatives and public signage ('No littering', 'Do not litter'). Can be used transitively ('litter the park') or intransitively ('Anyone caught littering' = dropping waste generally).
常見錯誤
2. to cover a surface or area in an untidy way by having many objects scattered acr
散落
凌亂地散布在四處
to cover a surface or area in an untidy way by having many objects scattered across it.
Empty cans and bottles littered the pavement after the street party ended.
街頭派對結束後，空罐子和瓶子散落在人行道上。
Old books and papers littered every surface in the professor's small office.
舊書和紙張散落在教授小辦公室裡的每個檯面上。
litter every surface
Dead leaves littered the garden path after the autumn storm passed through.
秋風過後，枯葉散落在花園小徑上。
Christopher's clothes littered the bedroom floor despite his mother's complaints.
Christopher 的衣服散落在臥室地板上，他媽媽怎麼說也沒用。
- tidy
to make something neat by putting things in their proper place
文法句型
litter + [place/area]
用法筆記
The subject of the verb is the objects that are scattered, and the object is the place that gets covered. For example: 'Papers littered the floor' (papers are the subject, floor is the object).
常見錯誤
3. if a place, written work, or other thing is littered with items, it contains or
充斥
某物大量存在於另一事物中
if a place, written work, or other thing is littered with items, it contains or is covered by a large number of them — often suggesting that there are too many or that they are a problem.
The student's essay was littered with spelling mistakes and unclear arguments.
那位學生的作文充斥著拼寫錯誤和不清不楚的論點。
be littered with mistakes
Tamar's desk was littered with half-finished projects and coffee cups.
Tamar 的書桌上堆滿了做一半的作業和咖啡杯。
The old stone walls are littered with ancient carvings left by travellers centuries ago.
古老的石牆上佈滿了幾個世紀前旅人留下的雕刻。
The garden was littered with fallen apples after the heavy wind passed through.
強風過後，花園裡到處都是掉落的蘋果。
- filled with
neutral quantity; 'littered with' adds negative judgement of excess or disorder
- covered with
more literal — 'littered with' suggests many small items spread over a surface
文法句型
be littered with + [things]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive form 'be littered with'. The active form ('Mistakes littered the essay') is possible but much less common. Used metaphorically for ideas, errors, details, or features.
4. when a female mammal gives birth to a group of babies at one time.
產仔
動物一次產下一窩幼崽
when a female mammal gives birth to a group of babies at one time.
The neighbour's Labrador littered last night and produced eight healthy puppies.
鄰居的拉布拉多犬昨晚產仔，生了八隻健康的小狗。
litter (intransitive) — give birth
Our cat usually litters twice a year, each time with four or five kittens.
我家的貓通常一年產仔兩次，每次四到五隻小貓。
The sow littered twelve piglets early in the morning on the farm.
農場裡的母豬清晨產了十二隻小豬。
The breeder's spaniel has just littered for the first time at age three.
繁殖者的西班牙獵犬三歲時第一次產仔。
- give birth
general term for any animal or human; 'litter' is specific to delivering multiple young at once
文法句型
litter + [number] + [young]
litter (intransitive)
用法筆記
Primarily used by breeders, vets, and pet owners. Less common in everyday speech than 'give birth to a litter of...'.