''leu'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260708194133-00-⌔

leu - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

leu (plural lei)

• The unit of currency of Romania, equal to one hundred bani.
• The unit of currency of Moldova, equal to one hundred bani.
  • ✤ Soon afterwards, it emerged that the Moldovan company Natural Gaz DC had signed a contract with Tiraspoltransgaz. Arkady Vikol, a co-owner of Natural Gaz DC, said the company planned to buy two to three million cubic metres of gas per day on European exchanges, generating around 3 million Moldovan lei per day (€150,000) in daily tax revenues for the Moldovan budget.¹

Etymology

Borrowed from Romanian leu (“lion”), from Latin leō (“lion”). Doublet of Leo, lev, lion, and Lyon.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈleɪ.uː/

Printed 2026-07-08.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

1. 2025 December 24, Nikita Kovalenko, “On borrowed time: How Transnistria is coping without the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine”, in Novaya Gazeta Europe ‎${}^{[1]}$: ↩