litter

noun lit·ter \ ˈli-tər \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of litter

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 men
—Edwin 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 documents
—Joseph Conrad

—

littery

play \ˈli-tə-rē\ adjective

See litter defined for English-language learners

See litter defined for kids

Examples of litter in a Sentence

We decided to pick up the litter in the park.
Her desk was covered with a litter of legal documents.

Recent Examples of litter from the Web

At that time, in the early 1980s, litter drifted through the park’s meadows, benches were falling apart and graffiti defaced the rocks.

— james r. hagerty, WSJ, "William Beinecke Diversified S&H Green Stamps Empire Into Furniture, Insurance," 13 Apr. 2018
Her post includes photos of cats with crusted eyes and allegations that Steuart brought in a cat infected with ringworm into the facility’s kitten coop, resulting in three different litters becoming infected.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Disease outbreak at Texas cat cafe leads to kitty quarantine, investigation | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 12 Apr. 2018
Since 2008, Ploucha has coordinated litter clean-ups throughout the county including the spring event and the Ohio River Sweep.

— sheila vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "West Clermont superintendent search starts with 'circus environment'," 12 Apr. 2018
Six months later, tens of thousands of families are still without electricity, and evidence of the homes and livelihoods swept away by the rain and ferocious winds litters communities – and the ocean floor.

— whitney eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, "After hurricane Maria, he's helping the ocean – and its fishers – recover," 9 Apr. 2018
The discovery comes amid rising concern about litter in the oceans, such as debris shown in this 2008 photo from Hanauma Bay, Hawaii.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "A sperm whale died from eating 64 pounds of plastic litter, marine experts say | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Apr. 2018
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is seeking people to remove litter, pull non-native plants and plant seeds at Naperville-area forest preserves.

— alex keown, Naperville Sun, "Volunteer days, environment fair, tree sale, more planned for Earth Day in Naperville," 6 Apr. 2018
The report inspected 2,461 trawls off the UK's coasts and found that over the 25-year period, 63% of trawls contained at least one plastic litter item.

— zahid mahmood, CNN, "Sharp drop in plastic bags littering UK seas after 5p bag charge," 5 Apr. 2018
Red wolves normally have three to five pups per litter.

— abbie bennett, charlotteobserver, "5 critically endangered red wolf pups born at NC Zoo during storms, tornado | Charlotte Observer," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'litter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of litter

Origin and Etymology of litter

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

litter Synonyms

Other Vehicles Terms

brougham, hansom, shay, skid, sledge, sulky, wain

litter

verb

Definition of litter

transitive verb

1 : bed 1a

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 bar
—Michael 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

See litter defined for English-language learners

Examples of litter in a Sentence

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 of litter from the Web

The ex-governor was frustrated with partying, crime and littering in the neighborhood.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "The ‘No Parking’ signs on a former governor’s street? They weren’t allowed, but he still got them.," 4 May 2018
In 2000, devices like the Rio and Nomad rapidly cashed in on Napster fever, but high prices, low memory, and serious limitations littered the pre-iPod era.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Oculus Go review: The wireless-VR future begins today for only $199," 1 May 2018
Stimpson said that littering complaints are handled as a criminal matter.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Stimpson: Law change could help cities fight litterbugs," 24 Apr. 2018
Sure, there are a few Starbucks here and there, and Pret a Manger shops litter the landscape.

— brian melton, star-telegram, "As London gears up for royal wedding, a look at three villages that helped define it | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 20 Apr. 2018
And yes, your cat probably does prefer the bright red laser pointer to the little mousey things littering your floor.

— dr. patty khuly, miamiherald, "Yes, dogs and cats do see color, just not the same way we do | Miami Herald," 12 Apr. 2018
Nike this, adidas that, a few sightings of Puma littered here and there; the Premier League contains an abundance of players rocking the same brand of boots and boot deals.

— SI.com, "Trendsetters: 18 of the Most Unique Boots Seen in the Premier League This Season," 11 Apr. 2018
The plastic littering the world’s oceans poses a severe threat to whales and other marine life, experts say.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "A sperm whale died from eating 64 pounds of plastic litter, marine experts say | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Apr. 2018
The notes were few, as a large orchestra thinned to the tinkle of harp, mandolin and celesta littering soft, ethereal drones in the select strings and winds.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Mahler's 'Song of the Earth' and sky and sea, the L.A. Phil way," 6 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of litter

see ¹litter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

LITTER Defined for English Language Learners

litter

noun

Definition of litter for English Language Learners

: things that have been thrown away and that are lying on the ground in a public place
: a messy pile or group of things
: dry material that is spread in a container and used as a toilet by animals (especially cats) while they are indoors

litter

verb

Definition of litter for English Language Learners

: to cover (a surface) with many things in an untidy way
: to throw or leave trash on the ground in a public place

LITTER Defined for Kids

litter

noun lit·ter \ ˈli-tər \

Definition of litter for Students

1 : the young born to an animal at a single time

a litter of pigs

2 : a messy collection of things scattered about : trash We picked up the litter in our neighborhood.

3 : material used to soak up the urine and feces of animals

4 : a covered and curtained couch having poles and used for carrying a single passenger

5 : a stretcher for carrying a sick or wounded person

History for litter

The different meanings of the word litter all grew out of the basic notion “bed.” In Old French, litiere, a derivative of lit, “bed,” could refer to a sleeping place in a general way, but it was more typically applied to either a curtained portable couch, or to straw spread on the ground as a sleeping place for animals. In borrowing the word, English kept both usages and added new ones. The “bedding for animals” sense was extended to the offspring of an animal such as a dog. In a different direction, litter became not just straw for animal bedding, but straw or similar material spread around for any purpose, and by the 1700s any odds and ends of rubbish lying scattered about.

litter

verb

Definition of litter for Students

littered; littering

1 : to throw or leave trash on the ground

2 : to cover in an untidy way

Leaves littered the yard.

Medical Dictionary

litter

noun lit·ter \ ˈlit-ər \

medical Definition of litter

1 : a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person

2 : the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal

litter

transitive verb

medical Definition of litter

: to give birth to a litter of (young)

intransitive verb

: to give birth to a litter

Learn More about litter

See words that rhyme with litter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for litter Spanish Central: Translation of litter Nglish: Translation of litter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of litter for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about litter

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litter

Definition of litter

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LITTER Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of litter for English Language Learners

litter

Definition of litter for English Language Learners

LITTER Defined for Kids

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medical Definition of litter

litter

medical Definition of litter

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