Dram definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

View all »
Definitions (18)

American Heritage Dictionary (5)

noun A unit of weight in the U.S. Customary System equal to ¹/₁₆ of an ounce or 27.34 grains (1.77 grams).
noun A unit of apothecary weight equal to ¹/₈ of an ounce or 60 grains (3.89 grams). See Table at measurement.
noun A small draft: took a dram of brandy.

2 more from this dictionary »

Century Dictionary (8)

A unit of weight less than an ounce. The dram is generally supposed to be of Greek origin. Many weights of this denomination and its multiples have been exhumed at Athens, belonging to different systems, of 57, 67, 75, and 78 grains troy, and there were doubtless others. The Solonic dram, the Athenian monetary weight, had at first 67.4, later 66.6 grains troy. The Æginetan weight was greater, and is fixed by the latest authorities as normally 97 grains. A dram afterward appears in Phenician systems as a half or quarter of a shekel; and under the Ptolemies there was in Egypt a dram of 54.6 grains troy. Under the early Roman emperors a dram was introduced into the Roman system as ⅛ of an ounce, equal to 63.2 grains troy. This relation to the ounce has been preserved in several modern systems. Thus, in apothecaries' weight, a dram is ⅛ of an ounce, or 60 grains, divided into 3 scruples of 20 grains each. The avoirdupois dram, however (derived from the Spanish adarme), is only of an ounce, or grains. In the old Spanish apothecaries' weight a dram was of an ounce. In the Neapolitan system 10 drams made ah ounce of grains troy. The Nuremberg drachm was 57.5grains troy. The Tuscan dramma was 54.6 grains troy. In the Arabian systems the dram is properly represented by the mitcal, but the derham is often called a dram, and was in fact derived from the Attic drachma. Abbreviated dr. We are not dieted by drachms and scruples, for we cannot take too much. Donne, Letters, xxvii.
A small quantity. [Rare.] An inhuman wretch Uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram of mercy. Shak., M. of V., iv. 1. For (concerning the divine nature) here was not a dram of glory in this union. Donne, Sermons, i.
As much liquid as is drunk at once; specifically, a drink of spirits: as, a dram of brandy. I could do this; and that with no rash potion, But with a ling'ring dram, that should not work Maliciously like poison. Shak., W. T., i. 2. I was served with marmalade, a dram, and coffee, and about an hour after with a light collation. Pococke, Description of the East, II. i. 225. From the strong fate of drams if thou get free, Another Durfey, Ward! shall sing in thee. Pope, Dunciad, iii. 145.

5 more from this dictionary »

View all »
Examples (50)

"X." has entirely surrendered himself to his monomania of method, which to him has become a kind of dram-drinking. — Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Volume 2
YEREVAN (AP) Armenia's Central Bank on Tuesday said it will give up its defense for the dram, the national — A1 HOME - Top Stories
The main causes of the appreciation of the dram are the global weakening of the U.S. dollar, a large inflow of foreign currency to Armenia from remittances, as well as increases in domestic productivity and incomes.
Armenia's reaction to the devalued dram is being mirrored in Nagorno Karabakh, where the dram is also the national currency. — Armenianow
Whew!' says he, when the dram was down, 'there's three more minutes gone, an' that's three more dollars. — Harbor Tales Down North With an Appreciation by Wilfred T. Grenfell, M.D.

More examples »

Add a related word »
Related

Used in the Same Context

swig · gill · bannock · nip · jigger · jorum · dollop · half-bottle · decanter · keg · pint · table-spoonful

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (5)

American Heritage Dictionary (2)

Middle English dragme, a drachma, a unit of weight, from Old French, from Late Latin dragma, from Latin drachma; see drachma.
Armenian, ultimately from Greek drakhmē; see drachma.

Century Dictionary (3)

Now also spelled drachm, after the L. spelling; from Middle English drame, a dram (weight), from Old French drame, also spelled, in imitation of the L., dragme, drachme, modern F. drachme = Spanish dracma = Portuguese drachma = Italian dramma = Dutch drachma = German drachme = Danish drakme (cf. Danish dram in sense 4, from English) = Swedish drachma, from Latin drachma, Middle Latin also dragma, from Greek δραχμή, later also δραγμή, an Attic weight, a Grecian silver coin.
from dram, n.
dram, n.

dram

View all »
Definitions (18)

American Heritage Dictionary (5)

Century Dictionary (8)

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (3)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word »
Related

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the Same Context

Etymologies (5)

American Heritage Dictionary (2)

Century Dictionary (3)

Pronunciations
Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

dram

View all » Definitions (18)

View all » Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word » Related

antonym:

synonyms:

related word:

synonym:

Etymologies (5)

Pronunciations Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

View all »
Definitions (18)

View all »
Examples (50)

stop updating
On Twitter

Add a related word »
Related

Pronunciations
Record your own »