ENGLISH
REFERENCE

litre

n.
UK //lˈiːtɐ// litre
  1. 1 a container of one litre (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    a bottle or container that holds exactly one litre.

    a container or vessel with a capacity of one litre, often used metonymically for the contents.

    Example

    Can you pick up a litre of orange juice on your way home?

    Example

    The recipe specifically requires a full litre of vegetable stock to ensure the risotto reaches the correct consistency during the simmering process.
Etymology 1

From French litre, from Medieval Latin litra, from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra, “a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight”). Related to Latin lībra. Doublet of arratel, libbra, Libra, libra, lira, litra, livre, and rottol.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish litre.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026