Meaning

noun the basic unit of money on Malta; equal to 100 cents

noun the basic unit of money in Turkey

noun formerly the basic unit of money in Italy; equal to 100 centesimi

originFrom Middle English lire, lyre, from Old English līra (“any fleshy part of the body, muscle, calf of the leg”), from Proto-Germanic *ligwizô, *lihwizô (“thigh, groin”), from Proto-Indo-European *lekʷs-, *lewks- (“groin”). Cognate with Dutch lies (“groin”), Swedish lår (“thigh”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0