Illustration of litter
- litter 1a
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 dark, shabby writing-desk covered with a litter of yellowish dusty documents.—Joseph Conrad
littered; littering; litters
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 bar …—Michael Chabon
d
: to mark with objects scattered at random
a book littered with misprints
Cite this Entry
“Litter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litter. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
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