litre
UK[ˈliːtə(r)]US[ˈliːtər]
n
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of water under standard conditions, now equal to 1,000 cubic centimetres (about 1.76 pints).
Etymology
the word 'litre' entered english in the late 18th century from french, where it was a unit of capacity. the french term derived from the medieval latin 'litra', which itself came from the ancient greek 'λίτρα' (litra), a sicilian unit of weight. the greek term is thought to be of non-indo-european, possibly pre-greek, origin. the journey of this word from a specific ancient weight measure to a standardized modern metric unit of volume illustrates the scientific repurposing of classical terminology during the development of the metric system.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single, unsegmentable unit into english.
Examples
the car's engine has a displacement of two litres.
she bought a litre of milk from the supermarket.
this bottle holds 1.5 litres of water.