dram

From Old French dragme, from Late Latin dragma, from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight, a handful”), from δράσσομαι (drássomai, “I hold, seize”).

• IPA^(key): /dɹæm/
• Rhymes: -æm

dram (plural drams)

1. (units of measurement) A small unit of weight, variously:
   1. One sixteenth of an ounce avoirdupois (approximately 1.77 g).
   2. (pharmacy) Alternative form of drachm (“⅛ ounce apothecary (3.89 g) (symbol: ℨ)”).
   3. (now uncommon) Synonym of dirhem: a former Turkish unit of weight (variously 1.5–3.5 g).
      • 1888, W.M.F. Petrie, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XXIV, s.v. "Weights and Measures":

        Dram (49·5 grains), 100=chequi, 4=oka (2·8286 ℔); dram (49·5 grains), 180=rotl, 100=kintal or kantar (127·29 ℔).

   4. (obsolete) Synonym of drachma: a former Greek unit of weight (about 4.3 g).
2. Any similarly minute quantity, (now particularly) a small amount of strong alcohol or poison.

   a dram of brandy

   • Milton

     Were I the chooser, a dram of well-doing should be preferred before many times as much the forcible hindrance of evildoing.

3. (historical) A cart formerly used to haul coal in coal mines.
4. (obsolete) Synonym of drachma: a Greek silver coin weighing one drachma; other similar coins.
   • The Bible (King James Version), Ezra 2:69

     They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams [i.e., the Persian daric] of gold, and five thousand pound of silver […]

• (small amount of something): mite, smidge, smidgeon, bit, pinch
• (small amount of alcohol): nip, shot, slug, snifter, tot

• angel's dram
• dram shop liability

dram (third-person singular simple present drams, present participle dramming, simple past and past participle drammed)

1. (dated, intransitive) To drink drams.

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2. (dated, transitive) To ply with drams of drink.

From Armenian դրամ (dram), from Middle Persian 𐭦𐭥𐭦𐭭‎ (drahm), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight, a handful”), from δράσσομαι (drássomai, “I hold, seize”).

dram (plural drams)

1. (numismatics) The currency of Armenia, divided into 100 luma.

• AMDR, Adm'r, RADM, RAdm, arm'd, mard

From drachme (“old unit of measurement, about 3.7 g”), from Late Latin dragma, from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight, a handful”)

dram c (singular definite drammen, plural indefinite dramme or drammer)

1. dram (a small quantity of an alcoholic drink)

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• Rhymes: -ɑm

dram

1. first-person singular present indicative of drammen
2. imperative of drammen

• darm, R'dam

drām m

1. a dream