From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
litter
n 1: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal
2: rubbish carelessly dropped or left about (especially in
public places)
3: conveyance consisting of a chair or bed carried on two poles
by bearers
4: material used to provide a bed for animals [syn: {bedding
material}, bedding, litter]
v 1: strew; "Cigar butts littered the ground"
2: make a place messy by strewing garbage around
3: give birth to a litter of animals
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Litter \Lit"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Littered
(l[i^]t"t[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Littering.]
1. To supply with litter, as cattle; to cover with litter, as
the floor of a stall.
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Tell them how they litter their jades. --Bp.
Hackett.
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For his ease, well littered was the floor. --Dryden.
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2. To put into a confused or disordered condition; to strew
with scattered articles; as, to litter a room.
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The room with volumes littered round. --Swift.
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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.
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We might conceive that dogs were created blind,
because we observe they were littered so with us.
--Sir T.
Browne.
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The son that she did litter here,
A freckled whelp hagborn. --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Litter \Lit"ter\ (l[i^]t"t[~e]r), n. [F. liti[`e]re, 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.
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There is a litter ready; lay him in 't. --Shak.
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2. Straw, hay, etc., scattered on a floor, as bedding for
animals to rest on; also, a covering of straw for plants.
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To crouch in litter of your stable planks. --Shak.
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Take off the litter from your kernel beds. --Evelyn.
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3. Things lying scattered about in a manner indicating
slovenliness; scattered rubbish.
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Strephon, who found the room was void.
Stole in, and took a strict survey
Of all the litter as it lay. --Swift.
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4. Disorder or untidiness resulting from scattered rubbish,
or from thongs lying about uncared for; as, a room in a
state of litter.
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5. The young brought forth at one time, by a cat, dog, sow or
other multiparous animal, taken collectively. Also Fig.
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A wolf came to a sow, and very kindly offered to
take care of her litter. --D. Estrange.
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Reflect upon that numerous litter of strange,
senseless opinions that crawl about the world.
--South.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Litter \Lit"ter\ (l[i^]t"t[~e]r), v. i.
1. To be supplied with litter as bedding; to sleep or make
one's bed in litter. [R.]
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The inn
Where he and his horse littered. --Habington.
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2. To produce a litter.
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A desert . . . where the she-wolf still littered.
--Macaulay.
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