lira

lira [leer-uh; Italian lee-rah] ExamplesWord Origin noun, plural li·re [leer-ey; Italian lee-re] /ˈlɪər eɪ; Italian ˈli rɛ/, li·ras.

a coin and monetary unit of Italy until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 centesimi. Abbreviation: L., Lit.
a monetary unit of Malta, San Marino, and the Vatican City until the euro was adopted.
a silver, bronze, or chrome steel coin and monetary unit of Turkey, equal to 100 kurus; equal to 100 piasters before 1933; Turkish pound. Abbreviation: TL.

Origin of lira 1610–20; Italian Old Provençal lieura Latin lībra pound Examples from the Web for lira Contemporary Examples of lira

Ismail Adin, another shop owner in Beyoglu, also said sales of alcohol were down, from about 5,000 Lira a day to 2,000 Lira.

Thomas Seibert

June 13, 2014

I get 400 Turkish lira ($198) a month and 300 of that goes on rent.

Jamie Dettmer

November 19, 2013

Historical Examples of lira

O’Mally handed him the exact amount, minus the lira for the button.

Harold MacGrath

I wanted a little to take with me, for my purse hasn’t a lira in it; but, no!

L. Frank Baum

It took him two days, and cost him several hundred lira for guides.

Lewis R. Freeman

And to her amazement, Lira’s brother held out the magic castanets.

Madeline Brandeis

Lira did not feel the spell of night that had settled upon the rest of the world.

Madeline Brandeis

British Dictionary definitions for lira lira noun plural lire (ˈlɪərɪ, Italian ˈliːre) or liras

the former standard monetary unit of Italy, San Marino, and the Vatican City, divided into 100 centesimi; replaced by the euro in 2002
Also called: pound the standard monetary unit of Turkey, divided into 100 kuruş
the former standard monetary unit of Malta, divided into 100 cents or 1000 mils; replaced by the euro in 2008

Word Origin for lira Italian, from Latin lībra pound Word Origin and History for lira n.

Italian monetary unit, 1610s, from Italian lira, literally “pound,” from Latin libra (see Libra).