livre

American  

[lee-ver, lee-vr^uh] / ˈli vər, ˈli vrə /

noun

livres plural

1. a former money of account and group of coins of France, issued in coin form first in gold, then in silver, finally in copper, and discontinued in 1794.

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livre British  

/ livrə, ˈliːvrə /

noun

1. a former French unit of money of account, equal to 1 pound of silver

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• livres
  plural

Etymology

Origin of livre

1545–55; < Middle French, Old French < Latin lībra balance, pound

Example Sentences

This is the challenge the village du livre must now confront.

From Washington Post • Dec. 26, 2021

“L’autofiction, c’est comme le rêve; un rêve n’est pas la vie, un livre n’est pas la vie.”

From The Guardian • Jun. 23, 2018

En 2007, un tribunal donna raison à Mme Bazzini, une affaire décrite par Jules B. Farber dans le livre “James Baldwin: Escape From America, Exile in Provence.”

From New York Times • Apr. 13, 2017

Juan Gris' "Le livre" went under the hammer for 10.3 million pounds, just short of the low estimate of 12 million.

From Reuters • Feb. 8, 2012

A livre was worth about three cents now.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham