litre

British  

/ ˈliːtə /

noun

1. one cubic decimetre

2. (formerly) the volume occupied by 1 kilogram of pure water at 4°C and 760 millimetres of mercury. This is equivalent to 1.000 028 cubic decimetres or about 1.76 pints

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Etymology

Origin of litre

C19: from French, from Medieval Latin litra, from Greek: a unit of weight

Example Sentences

But fuel prices remain below the levels reached in summer 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when petrol reached 191.5p and diesel hit 199p a litre.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The Netherlands has the most expensive diesel in Europe at more than $2.80 a litre, according to research by the RAC, a British motoring organisation.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

In the UK, petrol has hit 152.8p a litre, its highest in two years and around 20p more than the start of the war, according to the RAC motoring organisation.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Australia charges a sales tax of 52 cents on each litre of petrol sold at the pump, which will be halved for three months.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The instruc­tions also suggested survivors restrict themselves to half a litre of water every twenty-four hours.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel