lira

[ leer-uh; Italian lee-rah ]

/ ˈlɪər ə; Italian ˈli rɑ /

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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.

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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

He also reported that he happened to see that “cases full of brand new Italian Lire were being unpacked.”
On the Trail of Nazi Counterfeiters|Dr. Kevin C. Ruffner|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He and another bidder battled until Nicolo finally won the paintings for 45,000 lire—around $32.
Italian Autoworker Discovers Stolen Masterpieces on His Kitchen Wall|Barbie Latza Nadeau|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mother darling, give me a hundred lire For I want to be off to the States.
Castellinaria|Henry Festing Jones
A hundred thousand lire reward to anyone who will bring me a man and a woman who are truly faithful, absolutely faithful!'
The conquest of Rome|Matilde Serao

Today before I left the Embassy, my successor arrived, and to him I handed all the lire that were left, and papers and so forth.
Polly the Pagan|Isabel Anderson
I darted in, threw down a lire, and picked up two rolls of bread worth about twopence each, also some fruit worth about as much.
From the Thames to the Tiber|J. Wardle
A gondola costs something less than a livre (lire) an hour, or for a superior looking craft seven or eight livres a day.
Italian Highways and Byways from a Motor Car|Francis Miltoun

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