Word
lima
Phoneticsli·ma
/ˈɫaɪmə/
Definitions
01capital of Peru
n. the capital and largest city of the country of Peru.
n. the capital city of Peru, located on the country's central coast.
“We spent three days exploring the historic centre of Lima during our trip.”
“As the administrative and financial hub of the nation, Lima accounts for a significant portion of Peru's total economic output.”
02a type of bean
n. a large, flat, pale green or white bean that you can eat.
n. the edible seed of the plant Phaseolus lunatus, characterized by its flat shape and creamy texture.
“The chef added lima beans to the vegetable soup to make it more filling.”
“The recipe calls for dried lima beans, which require overnight soaking before they can be simmered into the traditional stew.”
Synonyms
03phonetic code for L
n. the word used for the letter 'L' when speaking over the radio or phone to avoid mistakes.
n. the code word representing the letter L in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
“The pilot confirmed the coordinates by saying 'Lima-Alpha-Seven'.”
“Standard radio procedure requires the use of Lima to represent the letter L to ensure clarity during poor signal conditions.”
Technical
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish Lima, in turn, borrowed from Classical Quechua Limaq (“the one who speaks”), cognate with modern Quechua rimaq, from the name of a sanctuary identified as the Huaca de Santa Ana. The variation of /r/ > /l/ is product of the former "coastal" variety of Quechua spoken around modern-day Lima. The drop of final /q/ could be attributed either to another characteristic of Coastal Quechua or to Spanish adaptation. Ultimately derived from rimay (“to speak”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/lima