different between scion vs litter

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English sion, sioun, syon, scion, cion, from Old French cion, ciun, cyon, sion; from Frankish *k?þ?, *k?þ, from Proto-Germanic *k?þô, *k?þ?, *k?þaz (“sprout”), from Proto-Indo-European *geye (“to split open, sprout”), same source as Old English ??þ (“a young shoot; sprout; germ; sprig”), Old Saxon k?th (“sprout; germ”), Old High German k?di (“offshoot; sprout; germ”). See also French scion and Picard chion. Doublet of chit.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sa??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?sa?.?n/, /?sa?.?n/
• Rhymes: -a??n

Noun

scion (plural scions)

1. A descendant, especially a first-generation descendant of a distinguished family.
2. The heir to a throne.
3. A guardian.
4. (botany) A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting; a shoot or twig in a general sense.

Translations

Trivia

One of three common words ending in -cion, the other two being coercion and suspicion.

Further reading

• “scion”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

References

Anagrams

• ICONs, Nicos, cions, coins, icons, sonic

French

Etymology

From Old French cion, ciun, from Frankish *kith?, from Proto-Germanic *k?þô, *k?þ?, from Proto-Indo-European *geye- (“to split open, to sprout”). Spelling influenced by scie (“saw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sj??/

Noun

scion m (plural scions)

1. scion (detached twig)
2. tip of a fishing rod

Synonyms

• (detached twig): greffon

See also

• (tip of fishing rod): canne

Further reading

• “scion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From French litière, from lit (“bed”), from Latin lectus; confer Ancient Greek ??????? (léktron). Had the sense ‘bed’ in very early English, but then came to mean ‘portable couch’, ‘bedding’, ‘strewn rushes (for animals)’, etc.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l?t?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?l?t?/, [?l???]
• Rhymes: -?t?(r)
• Homophone: lidder (US)

Noun

litter (countable and uncountable, plural litters)

1. (countable) 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.
2. (collective, countable) The offspring of a mammal born in one birth.
3. (uncountable) Material used as bedding for animals.

4. (uncountable) Collectively, items discarded on the ground.
   • 1730, Jonathan Swift, s:The Lady's Dressing Room

     Strephon [...] / Stole in, and took a strict survey / Of all the litter as it lay.
5. (uncountable) Absorbent material used in an animal's litter tray

6. (uncountable) Layer of fallen leaves and similar organic matter in a forest floor.
7. A covering of straw for plants.

Synonyms

• (platform designed to carry a person or a load): palanquin, sedan chair, stretcher, cacolet
• (items discarded on the ground): waste, rubbish, garbage (US), trash (US), junk

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

litter (third-person singular simple present litters, present participle littering, simple past and past participle littered)

1. (intransitive) To drop or throw trash without properly disposing of it (as discarding in public areas rather than trash receptacles).

2. (transitive) To scatter carelessly about.
3. (transitive) To strew (a place) with scattered articles.
4. (transitive) To give birth to, used of animals.
5. (intransitive) To produce a litter of young.
6. (transitive) To supply (cattle etc.) with litter; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall.
   • 1693, John Hacket, Scrinia reserata: a Memorial offered to the great Deservings of John Williams

     Tell them how they litter their jades.

   • For his ease, well litter'd was the floor.

7. (intransitive) To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make one's bed in litter.
   • 1634, William Habington, Castara

     The inn where he and his horse litter'd.

Derived terms

• litterer

Translations

Anagrams

• retilt, tilter, titler

Norman

Etymology

From Old French luitier, loitier, luiter (compare French lutter), from Vulgar Latin luct?re, from Latin luctor, luct?r? (“struggle, wrestle, fight”).

Verb

litter

1. (Jersey) to wrestle

Derived terms

• litteux (“wrestler”)