littermate

noun

lit·​ter·​mate ˈli-tər-ˌmāt How to pronounce littermate (audio)
: one of the offspring in a litter in relation to the others

Examples of littermate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lotus and the rest of his littermates have all been adopted since, but CHS still has hundreds of wonderful rescue pets looking for forever homes. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 The absolutely gorgeous 9-week-old domestic shorthair kitty found her way to the Arizona Humane Society, along with three littermates, after a Good Samaritan found them as underaged, orphaned strays. The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 18 Aug. 2023 Modafinil more effectively induces wakefulness in orexin-null mice than in wild-type littermates. The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023 Things like tugging on his littermate’s ears, learning how to go potty outside and, of course, playing, napping and cuddling! Cheeseburger and his siblings were just a couple of days old when they were rescued by the Arizona Humane Society in May, along with their mama. The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2023 Once a cub has been tackled by its littermates, roles might reverse such that a littermate handicaps itself, allowing the other cub to tackle it in return. Caitlin O'Connell, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 Four months later, his littermate, Jessie, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Johnny Runnette, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2022 Once a cub has been tackled by its littermates, roles might reverse such that a littermate handicaps itself, allowing the other cub to tackle it in return. Caitlin O'Connell, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 The health agency is now searching for people who attended the Clearwater gathering or might have had contact with the littermate puppy. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 July 2021

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

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of littermate was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near littermate

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

littermate

noun
lit·​ter·​mate -ˌmāt How to pronounce littermate (audio)
: one of a litter of offspring considered in relation to the other members of the litter
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