dram

See also: DRAM, Dram, and dràm

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɹæm/
  • Rhymes: -æm

Noun

dram (plural drams)

  1. (units of measurement) A small unit of weight, variously:
    1. ⅛ ounce avoirdupois (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).
    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 […]
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

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

  1. (dated, intransitive) To drink drams.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Johnson to this entry?)
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Thackeray to this entry?)
  2. (dated, transitive) To ply with drams of drink.

Etymology 2

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”).

Noun

dram (plural drams)

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

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

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

Noun

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

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

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑm

Verb

dram

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

Anagrams

Old Frisian

Noun

drām m

  1. a dream

Declension

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