dram

¹

[dram]

noun

1. Measurements.

   1. a unit of apothecaries' weight, equal to 60 grains, or 1/8 (0.125) ounce (3.89 grams).

   2. 1/16 (0.0625) ounce, avoirdupois weight (27.34 grains; 1.77 grams). dr., dr

2. fluid dram.

3. a small drink of liquor.

4. a small quantity of anything.

verb (used without object)

drammed, dramming 

1. Archaic.,  to drink drams; tipple.

verb (used with object)

drammed, dramming 

1. Archaic.,  to ply with drink.

DRAM

²

[dee-ram]

abbreviation

Computers.

1. dynamic RAM.

dram

¹

/ dræm /

noun

1. one sixteenth of an ounce (avoirdupois). 1 dram is equivalent to 0.0018 kilogram

2. Also called: drachm.  drachma. one eighth of an apothecaries' ounce; 60 grains. 1 dram is equivalent to 0.0039 kilogram

3. a small amount of an alcoholic drink, esp a spirit; tot

4. the standard monetary unit of Armenia, divided into 100 lumas

DRAM

²

/ ˈdiːræm /

acronym

1. dynamic random access memory: a widely used type of random access memory See RAM 1

noun

1. a chip containing such a memory

Other Word Forms

• half-dram adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dram¹

1400–50; late Middle English dramme, assimilated variant of dragme < Old French < Late Latin dragma, Latin drachma drachma

Word History and Origins

Origin of dram¹

C15: from Old French dragme, from Late Latin dragma, from Greek drakhmē; see _drachma

Example Sentences

"Do they allow you a tiny dram of whisky occasionally?" asked the King.

From BBC

It was, after all, an illegal dram shop during Prohibition and the need for secrecy was essential, especially since the queer patrons themselves were breaking the law by openly existing in public.

From Salon

With bourbon, allspice dram, lime and bitters, it tasted dark, strong, warm and tropical simultaneously, a storm on an island, somehow ideal for being ensconced inside Daphnes on a rainy Edmonds autumn afternoon.

From Seattle Times

To him, spirits provided what he called “accessible luxury” to customers — a dram of the good life even in an unstable economy.

From New York Times

A wee dram would set visitors rocking around this final Christmas "tree" on the Isle of Raasay.

From BBC