livre

plural livres

1. historicalA 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

   2 more examples

   At Paris the lad had laid out a livre in a little cage for the starling, and as he had little to do better the five months his master staid there, he taught it, in his mother’s tongue, the four simple words—(and no more)—to which I own’d myself so much its debtor.

   1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume I, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC

   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. obsoleteA lira
3. historicalAn ancient French unit of weight, equal to about 1 avoirdupois pound.