Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Litter

Litter (lit"tẽr) , noun

[French litière, Late Latin lectaria, from Latin lectus couch, bed. See Lie to be prostrated, and compare 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.
There is a litter ready; lay him in 't. — Shakespeare
2.
Straw, hay, etc., scattered on a floor, as bedding for animals to rest on; also, a covering of straw for plants.
To crouch in litter of your stable planks. — Shakespeare
Take off the litter from your kernel beds. — Evelyn
3.
Things lying scattered about in a manner indicating slovenliness; scattered rubbish.
Strephon, who found the room was void. Stole in, and took a strict survey Of all the litter as it lay. — Swift
4.
Disorder or untidiness resulting from scattered rubbish, or from thongs lying about uncared for; as, a room in a state of litter.
5.
The young brought forth at one time, by a cat, dog, sow or other multiparous animal, taken collectively. Also Figuratively
A wolf came to a sow, and very kindly offered to take care of her litter. — D. Estrange
Reflect upon that numerous litter of strange, senseless opinions that crawl about the world. — South

Litter (lit"tẽrd) , transitive verb

1.
To supply with litter, as cattle; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall.
Tell them how they litter their jades. — Bp. Hackett
For his ease, well littered was the floor. — Dryden
2.
To put into a confused or disordered condition; to strew with scattered articles; as, to litter a room.
The room with volumes littered round. — Swift
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.
We might conceive that dogs were created blind, because we observe they were littered so with us. — Sir T. Browne
The son that she did litter here, A freckled whelp hagborn. — Shakespeare

Litter (lit"tẽr) , intransitive verb

1.
To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make one's bed in litter. [Rare]
The inn Where he and his horse littered. — Habington
2.
To produce a litter.
A desert... where the she-wolf still littered. — Macaulay