Part 735

Donne.

2. Subject to contention; disputable; controvertible; debatable; doubtful; precarious. Shak.

No fences, parted fields, nor marks, nor bounds, Distinguished acres of litigious grounds.

Dryden.

3. Of or pertaining to legal disputes.

Nor brothers cite to the litigious bar.

Young.

Li*ti"gious*ly, adv. In a litigious manner.

Li*ti"gious*ness, n. The state of being litigious; disposition to engage in or carry on lawsuits.

Lit"mus (?), n. [D. lakmoes; lak lacker + moes a thick preparation of fruit, pap, prob. akin to E. meat: cf. G. lackmus. See Lac a resinous substance.] (Chem.) A dyestuff extracted from certain lichens (Roccella tinctoria, Lecanora tartarea, etc.), as a blue amorphous mass which consists of a compound of the alkaline carbonates with certain coloring matters related to orcin and orcein.

Litmus is used as a dye, and being turned red by acids and restored to its blue color by alkalies, is a common indicator or test for acidity and alkalinity.

Litmus paper (Chem.), unsized paper saturated with blue or red litmus, -- used in testing for acids or alkalies.

||Li"to*tes (l"t*tz), n. [NL., fr. Gr. lito`ths, from lito`s plain, ||simple.] (Rhet.) A diminution or softening of statement for the sake ||of avoiding censure or increasing the effect by contrast with the ||moderation shown in the form of expression; as, " a citizen of no ||mean city," that is, of an illustrious city. || Li*tran"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. li`tra + -meter. See Liter] An instrument for ascertaining the specific gravity of liquids.

Li"tre (l"tr; 277), n. [F.] Same as Liter.

Lit"ter (lt"tr), n. [F. litière, 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.

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 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.