/ ˈlɪərə; NAmE ˈlɪrə/ noun
( pl. lire / ˈlɪərə; NAmE ˈlɪreɪ/) ( abbr. l. ) the unit of money in Malta, Syria and Turkey, and formerly in Italy (replaced there in 2002 by the euro)
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WORD ORIGIN
Italian , from Provençal liura , from Latin libra pound.