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
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
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
Michael Chabon
d
: to mark with objects scattered at random
a book littered with misprints
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Leaf litter supports these insects by providing shelter and offering additional insulation for species that overwinter underground.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Some folks take their trees down right away, and the streets of many neighborhoods are littered with Christmas trees on the first few days of the new year.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for litter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Also, kitty litter and sand help with traction if you do get stuck.
—Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Leaf litter supports these insects by providing shelter and offering additional insulation for species that overwinter underground.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
Set in 2056 and littered with sci-fi goodies like rejuvenation fluids that make women look younger, and citizen ID tags, the film is set in the same city, and told over three separate nights, in three different phases of the man’s life.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Some folks take their trees down right away, and the streets of many neighborhoods are littered with Christmas trees on the first few days of the new year.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for litter
Cite this Entry
“Litter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litter. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
litter
1 of 2 noun
lit·ter
ˈlit-ər 
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 verb1
: 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
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)
: to give birth to a litter
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