Littermate
/ˈlɪt.ər.meɪt/noun
An animal born in the same litter as another.
Did you know?Littermate is a straightforward compound, but its first element, litter, goes back to Latin lectus, meaning “bed,” originally a “bed” of straw or bedding for birth and rest.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
litter
“Bedding, a bed of straw or rushes; later, the bedding on which animals give birth”
Late Latin
LL
lectus
“Bed, couch”
Latin
Latin
lectus
“Bed, couch”
Middle English
ME
litter
“Straw bedding, especially for animals”
Modern English
English
littermate
“A mate from the same litter”