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liter

Syllabification: (li·ter)

Pronunciation: /ˈlētər/

(Britishlitre

, abbreviation: l)

Translate liter | into French | into German | into Spanish

Definition of liter

noun

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of 1 kilogram of water under standard conditions, now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (about 1.75 pints).

Origin:

late 18th century: from French litre, alteration of litron (an obsolete measure of capacity), via medieval Latin from Greek litra, a Sicilian monetary unit