the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal
"The mother dog spent her first night keeping watch over her litter of five puppies."
rubbish carelessly dropped or left about (especially in public places)
"The park looked untidy because of all the litter scattered on the ground after the concert."
conveyance consisting of a chair or bed carried on two poles by bearers
"The weary traveler rested in the litter while his servants carried him through the dense jungle."
material used to provide a bed for animals
"The farmer spread fresh straw in the stall as litter to keep the horse's hooves clean and dry."
A platform mounted on two shafts, or a more elaborate construction, designed to be carried by two (or more) people to transport one (in luxury models sometimes more) third person(s) or (occasionally in the elaborate version) a cargo, such as a religious idol.
"The villagers constructed an ornate litter with gold-plated railings to carry the sacred statue through the festival procession."
In plain English: Litter is trash that people throw on the ground instead of putting it away properly.
"Please do not leave your trash on the ground; you should always throw it away in a bin."
Usage: As a verb, litter means to scatter trash on the ground instead of putting it in a bin. This usage is distinct from its noun form referring to a portable stretcher used for carrying injured people or goods.
make a place messy by strewing garbage around
"The careless tourist littered the beach, leaving piles of plastic bottles and wrappers scattered across the sand."
give birth to a litter of animals
"The queen dog gave birth to a litter of six puppies last night."
To drop or throw trash without properly disposing of it (as discarding in public areas rather than trash receptacles).
"The careless tourists littered the beach by throwing their wrappers onto the sand instead of using the nearby bins."
In plain English: To litter means to throw trash on the ground instead of putting it in a bin.
"Please do not litter by throwing your trash on the ground."
The word "litter" comes from the Latin root for a bed or couch, originally referring to bedding made of straw before entering Middle English as a term for carrying animals in baskets. Over time, its meaning shifted in modern usage to describe waste material scattered on the ground rather than just soft resting places.