liter

[lee-ter] /ˈli tər/
noun
1.
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, litre.
Origin
1800-10; < French litre, back formation from litron an old measure of capacity, derivative (with -on noun suffix) of Medieval Latin litra < Greek lítra pound
Can be confused
letter, lighter, liter, litter.

lite

[lahyt] /laɪt/
adjective
1.
an informal, simplified spelling of light2 (defs 12, 13), used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products:
lite beer.
noun
2.
light2 (def 36).
Related forms
liteness, noun
Can be confused
lite, light.
Examples from the web for liter
  • It takes three liters of freshwater to make one liter of bottled water.
  • The amount of water required to produce a liter of petroleum fuel is negligible by comparison.
  • He poured about a liter of oil into a plastic container.
  • And they measured the presence of nitrogen itself, filtering liter upon liter of water to quantify a vital nutrient source.
  • It flows at a rate of a few cubic millimeters per liter per century.
  • These giant vessels usually hold a liter of beer each.
  • We are eating a liter of oil about every three hours of flying.
  • Their ration cards permitted them only one kilo of sugar and half a liter of cooking oil a month.
  • And according to some estimates, it takes up to three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water.
  • For instance, the team found an average of about six milligrams of artificial vanilla per liter of water sampled.
British Dictionary definitions for liter

liter

/ˈliːtə/
noun
1.
the US spelling of litre

litre

/ˈliːtə/
noun
1.
one cubic decimetre
2.
(formerly) the volume occupied by 1 kilogram of pure water at 4°C and 760 millimetres of mercury. This is equivalent to 1.000 028 cubic decimetres or about 1.76 pints
Word Origin
C19: from French, from Medieval Latin litra, from Greek: a unit of weight

lite

/laɪt/
adjective
1.
(of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat
2.
denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thing: reggae lite
Word Origin
C20: variant spelling of light²
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 li·ter (lē'tər)
n.
Abbr. L, l
A unit of volume equal to 1000 cubic centimeters or or 1 cubic decimeter (1.0567 quarts).

liter in Science
liter
  (lē'tər)   

  1. 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.

  2. 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.


Slang definitions & phrases for liter

lite

adjective

Not serious; not scholarly; watered down; popularized: there's myth lite apres Joseph Campbell, Pinkola Estes, etc

[1980s+; fr the misspelling of light used to identify less fattening, less intoxicating, etc, products, esp beer]


Encyclopedia Article for liter

unit of volume in the metric system, equal to one cubic decimetre (0.001 cubic metre). From 1901 to 1964 the litre was defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water at 4C (39.2F) and standard atmospheric pressure; in 1964 the original, present value was reinstated. One litre is equivalent to approximately 1.0567 U.S. quart.

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