litter

1 of 2

noun

lit·​ter ˈli-tər How to pronounce litter (audio)
1
a
: a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger
a litter carried on the shoulders of four menEdwin Tunis
b
: a device (such as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
The wounded soldier was carried to the rear by litter.
2
a(1)
: material used as bedding for animals
Fibrous peat was used as litter for livestock.
(2)
: material used to absorb the urine and feces of animals
b
: the uppermost slightly decayed layer of organic matter on the forest floor
3
: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal
a litter of puppies
4
a
: trash, wastepaper, or garbage lying scattered about
trying to clean up the roadside litter
b
: an untidy accumulation of objects
a shabby writing-desk covered with a litter of yellowish dusty documentsJoseph Conrad
littery adjective

Illustration of litter

Illustration of litter
  • litter 1a

litter

2 of 2

verb

littered; littering; litters

transitive verb

1
2
: to give birth to a litter of (young)
3
a
: to strew with scattered articles
b
: to scatter about in disorder
c
: to lie about in disorder
their upside-down hats littered the top of the barMichael Chabon
d
: to mark with objects scattered at random
a book littered with misprints

intransitive verb

1
: to give birth to a litter
2
: to strew litter

Examples of litter in a Sentence

Noun We decided to pick up the litter in the park. Her desk was covered with a litter of legal documents. Verb Paper and popcorn littered the streets after the parade. a desk littered with old letters and bills It is illegal to litter. He had to pay a fine for littering.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Paddy's Pups: 4-week-old litter mates need foster families Although kitten season is right around the corner, the Arizona Humane Society continues to struggle with dog and puppy space as the shelter sees an unprecedented number of pets needing help in our community. The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 This winter's atypical lack of snow unfortunately makes litter on the street more noticeable than usual. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 In the litter of sycamore and oak leaves and the carpet of newborn grass, something caught my eye. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 The little litter comprises two males and two females. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Along with litter washing ashore, the seabirds often pick up plastics from the ocean. Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024 The Costa family decided to put down the puppies from Bobi’s litter by burying them in a hole, though Bobi escaped and was later found by the family’s two sons. Ty Roush, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The agency has found some success with its Last Litter program, which offers free spays, vaccines and microchips for mother dogs whose guardians surrender their litters for adoption. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Confetti litters Washington Square Park in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 15, 2024. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
Of course, that decision was announced shortly after a SpaceX rocket explosion littered the region with shrapnel. Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 For example, toxic algae known as red tide can leave the shores littered with dead fish, making a trip to the beach a total stinker. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Too many houses in rural areas stand empty and deteriorating: windows boarded up, yards littered with junk, brickwork greening with algae. Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 His social media is littered with inspirational quotes about pushing through doubt, about relentlessness, about prevailing despite some people misunderstanding his story. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 But it’s set in the same England, where the countryside is positively littered with ancient estates that double as a vast secret network of underground marijuana farms. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Classes have moved into basements, playgrounds are littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 For decades, a graveyard of corroding barrels has littered the seafloor just off the coast of Los Angeles. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 While the cybercrime underworld is littered with ransomware strains, Lockbit has been the most prolific in recent years, in part because its developers offer it to practically any would-be cybercriminal, said Allan Liska, a ransomware analyst at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'litter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French litere, from lit bed, from Latin lectus — more at lie

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of litter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near litter

Cite this Entry

“Litter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

litter

1 of 2 noun
lit·​ter ˈlit-ər How to pronounce litter (audio)
1
a
: a covered and curtained couch with poles to use for handles that is used for carrying a single passenger
b
: a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
2
: material spread in areas where farm animals (as cows or chickens) are kept especially to absorb their urine and feces
3
: the young born to an animal at a single time
a litter of puppies
4
: a messy collection of things scattered about : rubbish

litter

2 of 2 verb
1
: to give birth to young
2
a
: to cover with litter
b
: to scatter about in disorder
c
: to lie about in disorder

Medical Definition

litter

1 of 2 noun
lit·​ter ˈlit-ər How to pronounce litter (audio)
1
: a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
2
: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal

litter

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to give birth to a litter of (young)

intransitive verb

: to give birth to a litter

More from Merriam-Webster on litter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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