liter

especially British, li·tre

[lee-ter]

noun

1. a unit of capacity redefined in 1964 by a reduction of 28 parts in a million to be exactly equal to one cubic decimeter. It is equivalent to 1.0567 U.S. liquid quarts and is equal to the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at 4°C. l

liter

/ ˈliːtə /

noun

1. the US spelling of litre

liter

1. The basic unit of liquid volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 1.06 quart or 2.12 pints.

2. See Table at measurement

3. The basic unit of dry volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 0.90 quart or 1.82 pint.

4. See Table at measurement

Word History and Origins

Origin of liter¹

1800–10; < French litre, back formation from litron an old measure of capacity, derivative (with -on noun suffix) of Medieval Latin litra < Greek lítra pound

Example Sentences

“They gave me liters of IV, food and warm blankets,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The Stokes Twins took viewers to Nepal to help build a 15,000‑liter water tank.

From Salon

Some suggest one liter of water for every two hours you’ll hike, while others say it’s one liter of water for every five miles you’re traveling.

From Los Angeles Times

The surgeon needed 35 minutes of tourniquet time to stop the bleeding while about one liter of blood was lost, the suit states.

From Los Angeles Times

It holds 1.75 liters of water and fits like a dream — hydration on the go has never been this effortless.

From Salon