Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LITH-O-TOM'IC, a.

Pertaining to or performed by lithotomy.

LI-THOT'O-MIST, n. [See Lithotomy.]

One who performs the operation of cutting for the stone in the bladder; or one who is skilled in the operation.

LI-THOT'O-MY, a. [Gr. λιθος, stone, and τεμνω, to cut.]

The operation, art or practice of cutting for the stone in the bladder.

LITH'O-TRIP-SY, n.

The operation of triturating the stone in the bladder by means of an instrument called lithotriptor.

LITH'OTRIP-TIST, n.

One skilled in breaking and extracting stone in the bladder.

LITH'O-TRIP-TOR, n. [Gr. λιθος, a stone, and τριβω, to grind.]

An instrument for triturating the stone in the bladder, so that it may be extracted without cutting, recently invented by Dr. Civiale.

LI-THOX'YLE, a. [Gr. λιθος, a stone, and ξυλον, wood.]

Petrified wood. It differs from lignite, being really changed into stone; such as silicified woods, which are changed into varieties of sitex, &c. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

LITH'Y, a. [See Lithe.]

Easily bent; pliable. [This is probably the word which, in our popular use, is pronounced lathy.]

LIT'I-GANT, a. [See Litigate.]

Contending in law; engaged in a lawsuit; as, the parties litigant. – Ayliffe.

LIT'I-GANT, n.

A person engaged in a lawsuit. – L'Estrange.

LIT'I-GATE, v.i.

To dispute in law; to carry on a suit by judicial process.

LIT'I-GATE, v.t. [L. litigo, from lis, litis, a contest or debate; Ar. لَدَّ ladda, to dispute. Class Ld, No. 2. Lis, litis, coincides with the Saxon flit, contention; flitan, to contend.]

To contest in law; to prosecute or defend by pleadings, exhibition of evidence, and judicial debate; as, to litigate a cause or a question.

LIT'I-GAT-ED, pp.

Contested judicially.

LIT-IGA'TION, n.

The act or process of carrying on a suit in a court of law or equity for the recovery of a right or claim; a judicial contest.

LI-TIG'IOUS, a. [Fr. litigieux; L. litigiosus.]

1. Inclined to judicial contest; given to the practice of contending in law; quarrelsome; contentious; applied to persons. A litigious man is a bad neighbor and a bad citizen.
2. Disputable; controvertible; subject to contention; as, litigious right. No fences, parted fields, nor marks nor bounds, / Distinguish'd acres of litigious grounds. – Dryden.

LI-TIG'IOUS-LY, adv.

In a contentious manner.

LI-TIG'IOUS-NESS, a.

A disposition to engage in or carry on lawsuits; inclination ot judicial contests.

LIT'MUS, or LAC'MUS, n.

A blue pigment, formed from Argol orchal or archil, a lichen, the Roccella tinctoria. [See Archil.] It is prepared by bruising the archil, and adding quick lime and putrefied urine, or spirit of urine distilled from lime. The mixture, after cooling and the evaporation of the fluid, becomes a mass of the consistence of paste, which is laid on a board to dry in square lumps. – Encyc.

LIT'ORN, n.

A bird, a species of thrush, in size and shape resembling the hen blackbird. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

LIT'OTE, n. [λιτος, slender.]

Diminution; extenuation. A trope in rhetoric, in which, by denying the contrary, more is intended than is expressed; as I do not approve, instead of I disapprove. – Pope.

LIT'TER, n. [Fr. litiere, from lit; contracted from L. lectus, from the root of lego, Eng. lay; It. lettica, or lettiga; Sp. litera; Port. liteira; Arm. leter.]

1. A vehicle formed with shafts supporting a bed between them, in which a person may be borne by men or by a horse. If by the latter, it is called a horse-litter. A similar vehicle in India is called a palanquin.
2. Straw, hay or other soft substance, used as a bed for horses and for other purposes.
3. [Ice. lider, generation, from the root of lad, leod.] A brood of young pigs, kittens, puppies, or other quadrupeds. The word is applied only to certain quadrupeds, of the smaller kinds. [Qu. the root of lad.]
4. A birth of pigs or other small animals.
5. Waste matters, shreds, fragments and the like, scattered on a floor or, other clean place.

LIT'TER, v.t.

1. To bring forth young, as swine and other small quadrupeds. It is sometimes applied to human beings in contempt.
2. To scatter over carelessly with shreds, fragments and the like; as, to litter a room or a carpet. – Swift.
3. To cover with straw or hay; as, to litter a stable. – Dryden.
4. To supply with litter; as, to litter cattle.

LIT'TER-ED, pp.

1. Furnished with straw.
2. adj. Covered or overspread with litter, pieces, shreds, &c.

LIT'TER-ING, ppr.

1. Furnishing with straw.
2. Covering with shreds, pieces, &c.

LIT'TLE, a. [comp. less, lesser; superl. least. Sax. lytel, lytle; Scot. lite, lyte, adv. lyt; Goth. leitil; Sw. liten; Dan. liden; D. luttel; probably from the sense of diminishing. Class Ld, No. 15, 22, 31.]

1. Small in size or extent; not great or large; as, a little body; a little animal; a little piece of ground; a little table; a little book; a little hill; a little distance; a little child.
2. Short in duration; as, a little time or season; a little sleep.
3. Small in quantity or amount; as, a little hay or grass; a little food; a little sum; a little light; a little air or water.
4. Of small dignity, power or importance. When thou wast little in thy own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes? – 1 Sam. xv.
5. Of small force or effect; slight; inconsiderable; as, little attention or exertions; little effort; little care or diligence; little weight.