Etymology Inherited from Middle English dragme /dramme, from Old French dragme, from Late Latin dragma, from Latin drachma, from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight; a handful”). Doublet of drachma, diram, dirham, dirhem, and adarme.
Alternative Alternative form of drachm (“One sixteenth of an ounce avoirdupois (1.77 g; symbol: ʒ)”).
Units of measurement
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Alternative Alternative form of drachm (“One eighth of an ounce apothecary (3.89 g; symbol: ʒ)”).
Units of measurement; pharmacy; pharmacy
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Uncommon Synonym of dirhem: a former Turkish unit of weight (variously 1.5–3.5 g).
Units of measurement
Dram (49·5 grains), 100=chequi, 4=oka (2·8286 ℔); dram (49·5 grains), 180=rotl, 100=kintal or kantar (127·29 ℔).1888, W.M.F. Petrie, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XXIV, s.v. "Weights and Measures"
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Obsolete Synonym of drachma: a former Greek unit of weight (about 4.3 g).
Units of measurement
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Broadly Any similarly minute quantity, (now particularly) a small amount of strong alcohol or poison.
a dram of brandy
Were I the chooser, a dram of well-doing should be preferred before many times as much the forcible hindrance of evildoing.1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC:
3 more examples
When Friday came to him I bade him ſpeak to him, and tell him of his Deliverance, and pulling out my Bottle, made him give the poor Wretch a Dram, which, with the News of his being deliver'd, reviv'd him, and he ſat up in the Boat […]1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, pages 281–282:
Oh, brethren, if you wants more preachin' Save a little dram for me (Glory hallelujah!) Drinkin' gin ain't against my teachin'1920, Marshall Walker, Will E. Skidmore, “Save a Little Dram for Me”, performed by Bert Williams:
Connoisseurs may prefer to savour their dram of single malt straight up. But, for beverage companies, that's not where the growth is.2025 December 27, “Cocktails in a can are the new frontier for drooping drinks giants”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 18:
The rolling stock, consisting entirely of four-wheel open trucks, or drams, was broken up at Bonvilles Court Colliery.1946 November and December, “The Saundersfoot Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 340:
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Obsolete Synonym of drachma: a Greek silver coin weighing one drachma; other similar coins.
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 […]The Bible (King James Version), Ezra 2:69
Etymology Inherited from Middle English dragme /dramme, from Old French dragme, from Late Latin dragma, from Latin drachma, from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight; a handful”). Doublet of drachma, diram, dirham, dirhem, and adarme.
What I contend against is, this dramming, dramming, dramming, at all hours of the day. There are some men who take a glass at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and at four in the afternoon.1857, Samuel Griswold Goodrich, Recollections of a Lifetime:
The parents[…]are getting ready their daughter for sale[…]praying her, and imploring her, and dramming her, and coaxing her.1854, Arthur Pendennis [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], →OCLC:
dram
noun
/dɹɑm/
Etymology Borrowed from Armenian դրամ (dram), from Middle Persian 𐭦𐭥𐭦𐭭 (ZWZN /drahm/), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight, a handful”), from δράσσομαι (drássomai, “to hold, seize”).
1
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Numismatics The currency of Armenia, divided into 100 luma.