Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
liter [lee-ter] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- a unit of capacity redefined in 1964 by a reduction of 28 parts in a million to be exactly equal to one cubic decimeter. It is equivalent to 1.0567 U.S. liquid quarts and is equal to the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at 4°C. Abbreviation: l
Also especially British, li·tre. Origin of liter 1800–10; French litre, back formation from litron an old measure of capacity, derivative (with -on noun suffix) of Medieval Latin litra Greek lítra poundCan be confusedletter lighter liter litter lite [lahyt]Informal. adjective
- noting a commercial product that is low in calories or low in any substance considered undesirable, as compared with a product of the same type: used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products: lite beer.
- noting a version that is comparatively less extreme, profound, advanced, etc., than the typical version (often used postpositively): The film glossed over the dangers of the experiment with a science-lite explanation. The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.
noun
Origin of lite First recorded in 1965–70; an informal, simplified spelling of light2 Related formslite·ness, nounCan be confusedlite light Examples from the Web for liter Contemporary Examples of liter
Autocracy is just a Russian bad habit, like smoking three packs of cigarettes a day and drinking a liter of vodka.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself
P. J. O’Rourke
May 11, 2014
One hundred kilograms of rowanberries produce only one liter and a half of distilled liquor.
What to Drink When it’s Cold? The Glory of Austrian Schnaps
Jordan Salcito
January 25, 2014
The oldest Rolls-Royce in the Royal fleet is a 1950 Phantom IV, with a massive 5.76 liter engine.
Prince Harry’s Vegas Harley Adventure
Tom Sykes
November 21, 2011
There are long lines of cars stocking up on gas, to the point most gas stations imposed a 20 liter limit.
Diaries From Japan: Dispatches From People Living in Tokyo and Sendai
Brian Ries
March 16, 2011
The work paid well and was competed for: one-fifth liter of vodka, five cigarettes, 100 grams of sausage for each job.
Christopher Buckley
January 30, 2009
Historical Examples of liter
W’en a man’s eyes ‘fected by champagne, he’s liter’ly no good.
Tin-Types Taken in the Streets of New York
Lemuel Ely Quigg
For example, the weight of a liter of oxygen has been given as 1.4285 g.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry
William McPherson
The infusion for internal use is 30 grams to the liter of water.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
T. H. Pardo de Tavera
They could neither of them stand any more when the liter was emptied.
Original Short Stories, Volume 10 (of 13)
Guy de Maupassant
The total in taxes and transport is fourteen and a half cents a liter.
Isaiah Bowman
British Dictionary definitions for liter liter noun
- the US spelling of litre
lite adjective
- (of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat
- denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thingreggae lite
Word Origin for lite C20: variant spelling of light ² Word Origin and History for liter n.
1797, from French litre (1793), from litron, obsolete French measure of capacity for grain, from Medieval Latin litra, from Greek litra “pound,” apparently from the same Sicilian Italic source as Latin libra.
lite adj.
alternative spelling of light (adj.1), by 1962. Used from at least 1917 in product names, often as a variation of light (n.).
The word Adjusto-Lite for portable electric lamps was opposed by the user of a trade mark Auto-lite registered before the date of use claimed by the applicant. [“The Trade-Mark Reporter,” 1922] liter in Medicine liter [lē′tər] n.
- A unit of volume equal to 1000 cubic centimeters or or 1 cubic decimeter (1.0567 quarts).
liter in Science liter [lē′tər]
- The basic unit of liquid volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 1.06 quart or 2.12 pints. See Table at measurement.
- The basic unit of dry volume or capacity in the metric system, equal to 0.90 quart or 1.82 pint. See Table at measurement.