liter

American  

[lee-ter] / ˈli tər /

especially British, litre

noun

1. a unit of capacity redefined in 1964 by a reduction of 28 parts in a million to be exactly equal to one cubic decimeter. It is equivalent to 1.0567 U.S. liquid quarts and is equal to the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at 4°C. l

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liter British  

/ ˈliːtə /

noun

1. the US spelling of litre

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liter Scientific  

/ lē′tər /

1. The basic unit of liquid volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 1.06 quart or 2.12 pints.

2. See Table at measurement

3. The basic unit of dry volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 0.90 quart or 1.82 pint.

4. See Table at measurement

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Etymology

Origin of liter

1800–10; < French litre, back formation from litron an old measure of capacity, derivative (with -on noun suffix) of Medieval Latin litra < Greek lítra pound

Compare meaning

How does liter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gallon vs. liter
• liter vs. milliliter
• pint vs. liter

Example Sentences

Vehicle owners have access to 20 liters of gasoline through a mobile application that organizes distribution -- but it can take months.

From Barron's

One month ago a pipe carrying sewage from the US capital and parts of the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia burst, sending hundreds of millions of liters of waste into the Potomac River.

From Barron's

The few drivers left fill up at an eye-popping $5 per liter on the black market, which has led fares to triple.

From Barron's

Doctors drained a liter of fluid from my lungs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yes, gulping the liquid the night before was an ordeal — try drinking three liters of anything in three hours, going to sleep, then waking up six hours later for one final liter.

From Los Angeles Times