lītus (not littus), oris, n. cf. λίμνη, λειμών, λιμήν; and lino, the sea-shore, seaside, beach, strand (opp. ripa, the bank of a river: ora, the coast of the sea; cf. Ov. M. 1, 37 sqq.; Verg. A. 3, 75): litus est, quousque maximus fluctus a mari pervenit, Dig. 50, 16, 96: solebat Aquilius quaerentibus, quid esset litus, ita definire: qua fluctus eluderet, Cic. Top. 7, 32: quid est tam commune quam ... litus ejectis, id. Rosc. Am. 26, 72: litus tunditur undā, Cat. 11, 4: praetervolare litora, Hor. Epod. 16, 40: Circaeae raduntur litora terrae, Verg. A. 7, 10: petere, Ov. M. 2, 844: intrare, id. ib. 14, 104: sinuosum legere, Val. Fl. 2, 451: litoris ora, Verg. A. 3, 396; cf. id. G. 2, 44.

—Prov.: litus arare, i. e. to labor in vain, take useless pains, Ov. Tr. 5, 4, 48; so, litus sterili versamus aratro, Juv. 7, 49: in litus harenas fundere, to pour sand on the sea-shore, i. e. to add to that of which there is already an abundance, Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 44.

— Transf. A landing-place: quod uno parvoque litore adiretur, Suet. Tib. 40.

— The shore of a lake: Trasimeni litora, Sil. 15, 818: Larium litus, Cat. 35, 4; Plin. Ep. 9, 7.

— The bank of a river: hostias constituit omnes in litore, Cic. Inv. 2, 31, 97: viridique in litore conspicitur sus, Verg. A. 8, 83: percussa fluctu litora, id. E. 5, 83.

— Land situated on the sea-side: cui litus arandum dedimus, Verg. A. 4, 212: electione litorum, Tac. H. 3, 63.