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• libra
  libra

  noun

  the ancient Roman pound (containing 5053 grains or 327.4 grams).
• Libra
  Libra

  noun

  the Balance, a zodiacal constellation between Virgo and Serpens.

libra

¹ American  

[lahy-bruh, lee-] / ˈlaɪ brə, ˈli- /

noun

• librae
  plural

1. the ancient Roman pound (containing 5053 grains or 327.4 grams).

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libra ² American  

[lee-vrah] / ˈli vrɑ /

noun

• libras
  plural

1. sol.

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Libra ³ American  

[lee-bruh, lahy-] / ˈli brə, ˈlaɪ- /

noun

• Librae
  genitive

1. Astronomy. the Balance, a zodiacal constellation between Virgo and Serpens.

2. Astrology.

   1. the seventh sign of the zodiac: the cardinal air sign.

   2. Also Libran. a person born under this sign, usually between September 23rd and October 22nd.

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libra ¹ British  

/ ˈlaɪbrə /

noun

1. an ancient Roman unit of weight corresponding to 1 pound, but equal to about 12 ounces

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Libra ² British  

/ ˈliːbrə /

noun

1. astronomy a small faint zodiacal constellation in the S hemisphere, lying between Virgo and Scorpius on the ecliptic

2. astrology

   1. Also called: the Scales, the Balance. the seventh sign of the zodiac, symbol ♎, having a cardinal air classification and ruled by the planet Venus. The sun is in this sign between about Sept 23 and Oct 22

   2. a person born under this sign

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adjective

1. astrology born under or characteristic of Libra

Libra Scientific  

/ lē′brə /

1. A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near Scorpius and Virgo. Libra (the Scales or Balance) is the seventh sign of the zodiac.

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Usage

What does Libra mean? Libra is the name of a constellation that is interpreted as representing a pair of scales. It is also known as the Scales or the Balance. A constellation is a group of stars that appear near each other in the sky—especially a group that has been given a name. Libra is considered one of the 12 zodiacal constellations—constellations that appear within a particular portion of the sky called the zodiac. In astronomy, the zodiac is the band of sky along which the paths of the sun, the moon, and the planets appear to move. Despite its basis in astronomy, the word zodiac is mainly associated with and most often used in the context of astrology, the nonscientific practice in which the positions of heavenly bodies at certain times are thought to influence or be correlated with human behavior and events. In astrology, zodiac refers to a diagram (often a circular one) representing the zodiac belt and showing the symbols associated with each of the 12 constellations or sections, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Libra is one of these signs. It is situated between Virgo and Scorpio and is considered the seventh sign of the zodiac. The other signs of the zodiac are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The position of the sun in a particular portion of the zodiac at the moment of a person’s birth is thought to correlate with their personality. This is what people are referring to when they talk about their zodiac sign (or star sign or often just sign). People whose sign is Libra are those born between September 23 and October 22. The word Libra can be used as a noun to refer to someone who is born during this time, as in I was born in late October, so I’m a Libra. The word Libran can be used to mean the same thing. It can also be used as an adjective form of Libra. Example: Oh, your birthday is in October? Are you a Libra?

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• librae
  plural
• libras
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of libra¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin lībra

Origin of libra²

< Spanish < Latin lībra libra ¹

Origin of Libra³

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin lībra literally, pair of scales, libra ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

libra Libra librae libras Librae

Under the Goths the monetary basis was the Roman libra, subdivided thus— 1 libra = 8 onzas = 4608 grs.

From The History of Currency, 1252 to 1896 by William Arthur Shaw

Another contains a libra of brick dust, a third of refined salt, and one and a half unciae of vitriol.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

Another has one libra of brick dust, and half a libra of rock salt, to which some add a sixth of a libra and a sicilicus of vitriol.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

The lead which liquates from these cakes weighs seven centumpondia, in each centumpondium of which there is a quarter of a libra of silver and a little more than a sicilicus.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

The alloy when cooled is again crushed to powder, one libra of which is absorbed by four pounds of molten silver.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

The signs attributed to each profile were Virgo, Leo, and Libra.

From Slate ● May 5, 2026

Between March 3 and 5 four more vessels were struck: the Libra Trader, Gold Oak, Safeen Prestige and the Sonangol Namibe.

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

Cyber security researchers at CrowdStrike formed the name "Scattered Spider" because of the group's sporadic nature, but other cyber companies have given the cluster nicknames including Octo Tempest and Muddled Libra.

From BBC ● May 20, 2025

This study received support from the Libra Foundation and John Templeton Foundation.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024

Just as with Libra, a colony on the moon would have to be sealed to keep its atmosphere from escaping into the vacuum of space.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

In this way every week, if the work is for six days, thirty-six centumpondia of cakes are made and three centumpondia of alloy, in all of which there is often almost twenty-four librae of silver.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

When gold is parted from sixty-six librae of silver, the silver, copper, and sulphur regulus weighs one hundred and thirty-two librae.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

An example of the penalty of 5 pounds of gold is quoted from a decree of 960; and the penalty is sometimes expressed "auri purissimi librae 5."

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Henry Yule

As to the recovery of the silver from the regulus, he states that 66 librae of silver give 132 librae of regulus.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

Thus there is left in the "bottoms," weighing twenty-three centumpondia, a total of eight and three-quarter librae of silver.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

How do we know what libras or bitcoins are worth, or whether they’re worth anything?

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 29, 2019

Another of the same casting, a paterero,1 caliber eleven libras, length fourteen calibers.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 1606-1609 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Emma Helen Blair

Since the total yield from all those islands is, as has been stated, 2,816,000 libras, there is left for the Spaniards, Portuguese, Castilians, and other nations who get some of it, 1,718,000 libras.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 27 of 55 1636-37 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by James Alexander Robertson

One full-sized saker of the same casting, caliber ten libras, length thirteen calibers.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 1606-1609 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Emma Helen Blair

Each bar is six hundred and forty libras.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 1620-1621 Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century. by James Alexander Robertson

It was sighted at a point two degrees W. of a Librae at an angle of 431/2° with the horizon, and had been photographed, its elements calculated, its spectrum taken.

From The Lord of the Sea by M. P. (Matthew Phipps) Shiel

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