Lima

¹ American  

[lee-muh] / ˈli mə /

noun

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

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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.

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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

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Lima Cultural  

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

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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

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

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

However, Alianza Lima later published a statement, also on X, that said: "According to the preliminary information available, the incident is not related to the collapse of walls or structural facilities of the sports complex".

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

I saw Carabayllo for the first time when accompanying Farmer on a trip to Lima.

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