DRAM

unit of weight in the avoirdupois system, equivalent to 1/16 ounce (27.344 grains, or 1.772 grams), and in the apothecaries' system, equivalent to 1/8 ounce (60 grains, or 3.888 grams). The term also refers to the fluid dram, a measure of capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce. In England, dram came to mean a small draught of cordial or alcohol; hence the term dram-house for the taverns where one could purchase a dram. Dram is a phonetic spelling of drachm, a Greek word designating an ancient coin and weight that probably originated as the amount one could hold in one's hands. The use of the dram as a measuring unit has largely been superseded by metric measures.