lire

L1I1R1E1

noun

Flesh, brawn, or muscle; the fleshy part of a person or animal in contradistinction to the bone and skin.

OriginMiddle English lire ← Old English līra ← Proto-Germanic *ligwizô →
Less commonScrabble 4
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Meanings

lire1

nounlire (plural lires)

plural lires

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectalFlesh, brawn, or muscle; the fleshy part of a person or animal in contradistinction to the bone and skin.
  2. ScotlandUKdialectalThe fleshy part of a roast capon, etc. as distinguished from a limb or joint.

lire2

nounlire (plural lires)

plural lires

  1. ScotlandUKdialectalThe cheek.
  2. ScotlandUKdialectalFace; appearance of the face or skin; complexion; hue.

lire3

nounlire (plural lires)

plural lires

  1. OrkneyScotlandShetlandUKdialectalbiologyThe Manx shearwater (bird).

lire4

noun
  1. pluralplural of lira

Origin

lire · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*lekʷs-
  2. Proto-Germanic*ligwizô
  3. Old Englishlīra“any fleshy part of the body, muscle, calf of the leg”
  4. Middle Englishlire
  5. Englishlire

From 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”).

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lire · noun

  1. Old Norsehlýr“cheeks”
  2. Middle Englishlire
  3. Englishlire

From Middle English lire, lyre, from Old Norse hlýr (“cheeks”, plural). Compare Middle English lere, from Old English hlēor (“cheek, countenance, complexion”). More at leer.

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lire · noun

  1. Old Norselíri
  2. Englishlire

From Old Norse líri. Cognate with Norwegian lira.

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lire · noun

  1. Italianlire
  2. Italianlire
  3. Englishlire

Borrowed from Italian lire.

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Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lire

eraveraliramadeiraheralyrascleraThiraDún Laoghaire
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Sounds the same

lyre (some pronunciations)

Anagrams

riellierrileReilIler
Cite this entry
APA

lire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lire

MLA

“lire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lire. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lire,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lire.

Source: lire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.