Dictionary.com

lira

[ leer-uh; Italian lee-rah ]
/ ˈlɪər ə; Italian ˈli rɑ /
Save This Word!

noun, plural li·re [leer-ey; Italian lee-re], /ˈlɪər eɪ; Italian ˈli rɛ/, li·ras.
a coin and monetary unit of Italy until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 centesimi. Abbreviation: L., Lit.
a monetary unit of Malta, San Marino, and the Vatican City until the euro was adopted.
a silver, bronze, or chrome steel coin and monetary unit of Turkey, equal to 100 kurus; equal to 100 piasters before 1933; Turkish pound. Abbreviation: TL.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of lira

1610–20; <Italian <Old Provençal lieura<Latin lībra pound
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lira in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lira

lira
/ (ˈlɪərə, Italian ˈliːra) /

noun plural lire (ˈlɪərɪ, Italian ˈliːre) or liras
the former standard monetary unit of Italy, San Marino, and the Vatican City, divided into 100 centesimi; replaced by the euro in 2002
Also called: pound the standard monetary unit of Turkey, divided into 100 kuruş
the former standard monetary unit of Malta, divided into 100 cents or 1000 mils; replaced by the euro in 2008

Word Origin for lira

Italian, from Latin lībra pound
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
FEEDBACK