litter

n. [ F. litière, LL. lectaria, fr. L. lectus couch, bed. See Lie to be prostrated, and cf. Coverlet. ] 1. A bed or stretcher so arranged that a person, esp. a sick or wounded person, may be easily carried in or upon it. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a litter ready; lay him in 't. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Straw, hay, etc., scattered on a floor, as bedding for animals to rest on; also, a covering of straw for plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

To crouch in litter of your stable planks. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Take off the litter from your kernel beds. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Things lying scattered about in a manner indicating slovenliness; scattered rubbish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strephon, who found the room was void.
Stole in, and took a strict survey
Of all the litter as it lay. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Disorder or untidiness resulting from scattered rubbish, or from thongs lying about uncared for; as, a room in a state of litter. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The young brought forth at one time, by a cat, dog, sow or other multiparous animal, taken collectively. Also Fig. [ 1913 Webster ]

A wolf came to a sow, and very kindly offered to take care of her litter. D. Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reflect upon that numerous litter of strange, senseless opinions that crawl about the world. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Littered p. pr. & vb. n. Littering. ] 1. To supply with litter, as cattle; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tell them how they litter their jades. Bp. Hackett. [ 1913 Webster ]

For his ease, well littered was the floor. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put into a confused or disordered condition; to strew with scattered articles; as, to litter a room. [ 1913 Webster ]

The room with volumes littered round. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To give birth to; to bear; -- said of brutes, esp. those which produce more than one at a birth, and also of human beings, in abhorrence or contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

We might conceive that dogs were created blind, because we observe they were littered so with us. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

The son that she did litter here,
A freckled whelp hagborn. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] One who occupies himself with literature; a literary man; a literatus. “ Befriended by one kind-hearted littérateur after another.” C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. one who helps carry a stretcher.
Syn. -- stretcher-bearer. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a bin (usually in or outside a public building) into which the public can put rubbish.
Syn. -- litterbasket. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a person who litters public places with refuse.
Syn. -- litterer, litter lout. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. having articles scattered about in a disorderly fashion.
Syn. -- cluttered, messy, mussy, untidy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a person who litters public places with refuse.
Syn. -- litterbug, litter lout. [ WordNet 1.5 ]