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apothecaries' weight

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noun
a system of weights used chiefly in compounding and dispensing drugs: 20 grains = 1 scruple (℈); 3 scruples = 1 dram (dr); 8 drams = 1 ounce); 12 ounces = 1 pound. The grain, ounce, and pound are the same as in troy weight, the grain alone being the same as in avoirdupois weight.
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Origin of apothecaries' weight

First recorded in 1755–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use apothecaries' weight in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for apothecaries' weight

apothecaries' weight

noun
a system of weights, formerly used in pharmacy, based on the Troy ounce, which contains 480 grains. 1 grain is equal to 0.065 gram
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for apothecaries' weight

apothecaries' weight
[ ə-pŏthĭ-kĕr′ēz ]

A system of weights used in pharmacy and based on an ounce equal to 480 grains and a pound equal to 12 ounces. It has been largely replaced by measures of the metric system.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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