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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Green described wild pigs as opportunistic eaters that breed early, produce big litters and face no natural predators in Alabama, leaving them free to trash everything from pine seedlings to row crops. Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023 Department crews typically go out and clean up litter prior to mowing season, but other programs help out too: The Adopt-a-Highway program handles specific two-mile sections of the roadway along a state, federal or interstate route. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2023 Students should focus their video on the Keep Arkansas Beautiful mission of inspiring individuals to improve their communities by educating, preventing litter, promoting recycling and keeping Arkansas beautiful. Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2023 Large herbivores regulate nature’s fire systems by eating plant matter that fuels wildfires and turning over soil and vegetation litter as a result of their rummaging behavior. Curtis Abraham, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2023 Over the years, the Pumpkin Spice Latte has taken on a life of its own, becoming a signal for fall both beloved and mocked, and ushering in an era of pumpkin spice products, from cat litter to yogurt to beer. Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 23 Aug. 2023 Participants help clean up litter from the San Dieguito Watershed and keep it from going in the ocean. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2023 Tick prevention is particularly important when spending time in tick-prone areas, such as tall grasses, shrubs, and leaf litter, said Pritt. Julia Ries, Health, 9 Aug. 2023 In the late nineteen-nineties, a neuroscientist named Mark Blumberg stood in a lab at the University of Iowa watching a litter of sleeping rats. Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
Verb
The road to a 100 mph fastball is littered with ruptured ulnar collateral ligaments. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023 Roads were littered with limbs and branches, and some were caked in mud. WSJ, 31 Aug. 2023 Law enforcement should enforce statutes against littering, wage theft, extortion and other behaviors that actually harm communities. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023 For months, Etsy has become littered with a new genre of T-shirt: the Donald Trump mug shot. Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023 In addition to the 27 wineries in town, there are tasting rooms and vineyards littered throughout the Santa Ynez Valley. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2023 The history of the Cold War is littered with near misses. Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023 But interstellar space is littered with opaque clouds of cosmic dust, tiny grains of rocky or sooty material that block our view of what lies beyond. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Aug. 2023 Down the hall from the head coach’s office overlooking Maverik Stadium, Utah State defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen glances down at a desk littered with play sheets, depth charts and assorted notes. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

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 23 Sep. 2023.

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

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