dram
1 Americannoun
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Measurements.
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a unit of apothecaries' weight, equal to 60 grains, or 1/8 (0.125) ounce (3.89 grams).
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1/16 (0.0625) ounce, avoirdupois weight (27.34 grains; 1.77 grams). dr., dr
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a small drink of liquor.
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a small quantity of anything.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
abbreviation
noun
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one sixteenth of an ounce (avoirdupois). 1 dram is equivalent to 0.0018 kilogram
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Also called: drachm. drachma. one eighth of an apothecaries' ounce; 60 grains. 1 dram is equivalent to 0.0039 kilogram
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a small amount of an alcoholic drink, esp a spirit; tot
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the standard monetary unit of Armenia, divided into 100 lumas
acronym
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dram
1400–50; late Middle English dramme, assimilated variant of dragme < Old French < Late Latin dragma, Latin drachma drachma
Vocabulary lists containing dram
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the January 17, 2026, print edition as 'The Slow Road to a Great Dram'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Kenny Macdonald - a legitimate whisky cask broker who runs his own company, Dram Mor – said there were other "good guys" operating in the industry.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2025
The digital era enabled countless new avenues for surveillance and jealousy, and the R&B songwriter Dram sings about one in “Let Me See Your Phone.”
From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2022
The name in the title refers to Jerry Hollinger, whose other Maryland restaurants are the Daily Dish in Silver Spring and the Dish and Dram in Kensington.
From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2022
A small boy stood at the Victrola turning its handle and smiling at the sound of Bert Williams’ “Save a Little Dram for Me.”
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.