Looking up...
livre
/livʁ/
book
J’ai acheté un livre intéressant à la librairie.
I bought an interesting book at the bookstore.
neutral
A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.
Ce livre parle de l’histoire de la France.
This book is about the history of France.
Used for both fiction and non-fiction works.
technical
A unit of weight equal to 500 grams.
La farine est vendue au kilo ou à la livre.
Flour is sold by the kilogram or by the pound.
Primarily used in France for food products; equivalent to 1.1 US pounds.
neutral
To deliver something to a recipient.
Le colis a été livré hier.
The package was delivered yesterday.
Conjugation: je livre, tu livres, il livre, nous livrons, vous livrez, ils livrent.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Distinguishing meanings
Context is key: 'un livre' almost always means 'a book', while 'une livre' (feminine) means 'a pound'. Pronunciation differs slightly (/livʁ/ vs /livʁə/).
Gold Rule
Gender agreement
Use 'un livre' (masculine) for books and 'une livre' (feminine) for the unit of weight or currency.
Word Origin
From Old French *livre* (11th c.), from Latin *liber* 'book, bark of a tree', originally 'inner bark of a tree' (used for writing). Related to French *libre* 'free'.
Usage Notes
The noun 'livre' (book) is masculine; the verb 'livrer' (to deliver) is conjugated regularly. In Canada, 'livre' can also mean 'pound' (currency).
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais