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

---

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

The move was meant "to protect the Cape Verdean population," Maria da Luz Lima declared, adding that "there would be no contact between the passengers and the country".

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

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

Voters who experienced problems in Lima and at polling stations abroad - such as in Orlando, Florida and Paterson, New Jersey - will be able to cast their ballots on Monday, the electoral authorities ruled.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

The director applauded what PIH was doing, but the foundation had already committed $13 million to pilot projects throughout Russia, where TB was deemed to be a more serious problem than in Lima.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French