litre
noun
Simple meaning
A metric unit of volume, about the amount in a large bottle of water.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
leeterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlitɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The metric unit of fluid measure, equal to one cubic decimetre. Symbol: L, l, or ℓ.
A metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
informal
A measure of volume equivalent to a litre.
Lithraea caustica, a Chilean tree or bush.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The metric unit of fluid measure, equal to one cubic decimetre. Symbol: L, l, or ℓ.
Used this way, litre is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This sense is about measurement, so it is used where accuracy is the point.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Academic writing
Nearby words
- liter , used mainly in Regional English
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
The metric unit of fluid measure, equal to one cubic decimetre. Symbol: L, l, or ℓ.
A unit of volume equal to that of a cube having sides each one decimetre in length, equal to 10⁻³ cubic metres and 1….
US spelling of cubic decimetre.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- horsepowernoun
- gallonnoun
- cidnoun
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: metric unit of fluid measure
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