Litter — Defs

01 n. A bed or stretcher so arranged that a person, esp. a sick or wounded person, may be easily carried in or upon it.

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.” — Shak.
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.” — Shak.

“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 Fig.
“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.

02 v. t. To supply with litter, as cattle; to cover with litter, as the floor of a stall.

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.
“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.” — Shak.

03 v. i. To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make one's bed in litter.

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