livre

Etymology

Borrowed from French livre. Doublet of libra and lira.

noun

  1. (historical) A unit of currency formerly used in France, divided into 20 sols or sous.
    They like to see them awarded comfortable pensions. Is it 700,000 livres a year to the Polignac family? 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial, published 2007, page 115
    He never, it should be noted, totally renounced his inheritance: a critic of the court round, he benefited to the tune of a cool two million livres a year from royal largesse […]. 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 30
  2. (historical) An ancient French unit of weight, equal to about 1 avoirdupois pound.

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