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Lima

1 American  
[lee-muh] / ˈli mə /

noun

  1. a word used in communications to represent the letter L.


Lima 2 American  
[lee-muh, lee-mah, lahy-muh] / ˈli mə, ˈli mɑ, ˈlaɪ mə /

noun

  1. a city in and the capital of Peru, near the Pacific coast.

  2. a city in northwestern Ohio.


Lima British  
/ ˈliːmə /

noun

  1. the capital of Peru, near the Pacific coast on the Rímac River: the centre of Spanish colonization in South America; university founded in 1551 (the oldest in South America); an industrial centre with a port at nearby Callao. Pop: 8 180 000 (2005 est)

  2. communications a code word for the letter L

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Lima Cultural  
  1. Capital of Peru and largest city in the country, located in western Peru; the country's economic center.


Discover More

Lima was the capital of the empire of Spain in the New World until the nineteenth century.

Etymology

Origin of Lima

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ultraconservative former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga is locked a tight race with leftist ex-minister Roberto Sanchez for the second runoff spot.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

She faces a challenge from former Lima mayor Ricardo Belmont, 80, who, despite having run the capital for five years, has pitched himself as an outsider.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

"This was an incredibly surprising thing to behold," Lima said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

In Lima, Peru, well-drilling was banned in some areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Lima was more difficult to track down, but he had not gone far.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers