What Is Dram?
A dram is a very small measuring unit. It has been used in two main ways. As a unit of weight for dry things like medicine or spices, and as a unit of liquid volume for things like medicine and drinks. Today it is mostly an old or special use unit, but you still see it in some places, for example when people talk about a small drink of whisky.
Definition
There are two main types of dram.
- Weight dram A small unit of mass that was used in trade and medicine.
- Fluid dram A small unit of liquid volume that was used for medicine and drinks.
In simple numbers.
- Avoirdupois dram The normal English weight dram. It equals 1/16 of an ounce, which is about 1.77 grams.
- Apothecaries dram The old pharmacy dram. It equals 1/8 of an apothecaries ounce, which is about 3.9 grams.
- US fluid dram The US liquid dram. It equals 1/8 of a US fluid ounce, which is about 3.7 milliliters.
- Imperial fluid dram The British liquid dram. It equals 1/8 of an imperial fluid ounce, which is about 3.55 milliliters.
So a dram is always a very small amount, smaller than a teaspoon, and smaller than a small coin in weight.
History / Origin
The word dram is very old. It comes from the Greek word drachma, which was a unit for both weight and money in ancient Greece. The idea passed into Latin and then into old European languages.
In medieval Europe, doctors, spice traders and jewelers needed a way to measure tiny amounts. They used systems based on grains, drams, ounces and pounds. Over time English speakers used dram as part of two systems.
- Avoirdupois system For normal trade and everyday goods.
- Apothecaries system For medicines and chemicals.
Fluid drams appeared later, when people used ounces and gallons to measure liquids. A fluid dram became a handy way to measure small doses of liquid medicine.
When the metric system spread in the 1800s and 1900s and grams and milliliters became common, the dram slowly turned into a mostly historic and special use unit.
Symbol & Abbreviation
Several symbols have been used for dram.
- dr Common short form for a weight dram.
- dram Written out in full, especially today to avoid confusion.
- fl dr or fl dr. Short form for fluid dram.
- ʒ A special old symbol used in apothecary writing for a dram.
Because the same word dram can mean weight or volume, modern writers often avoid using the symbol alone. Instead they write weight dram or fluid dram or give the value in grams or milliliters next to it.
Current Use Around the World
Today, the dram is not a standard unit in science or everyday business. Most countries use the metric system with grams and milliliters. The dram survives only in a few areas.
- Drinks and whisky culture In Scotland, Ireland and other English speaking places, people say a dram of whisky to mean a small serving. This is more a casual idea than a fixed size.
- Old medical texts Older pharmacy books and recipes for herbal cures often show doses in drams.
- Shotgun ammunition In the past, shotgun powder loads were sometimes described in drams. Today this is mostly of interest to historians and some shooting fans.
- Curiosity and study Students of history, cooking, pharmacy or weights and measures may meet the dram when reading old documents.
In normal life, when people need to be exact, they convert any dram values into grams, ounces or milliliters.
Example Conversions
These simple examples show how dram compares to more common units. Values are rounded and are not perfect to many decimal places.
Weight dram examples
- 1 avoirdupois dram ≈ 1.77 grams
- 2 avoirdupois drams ≈ 3.54 grams
- 4 avoirdupois drams ≈ 7.09 grams
- 16 avoirdupois drams = 1 ounce ≈ 28.35 grams
- 1 apothecaries dram ≈ 3.9 grams
- 2 apothecaries drams ≈ 7.8 grams
- 8 apothecaries drams = 1 apothecaries ounce ≈ 31.1 grams
Fluid dram examples
- 1 US fluid dram ≈ 3.7 milliliters
- 2 US fluid drams ≈ 7.4 milliliters
- 6 US fluid drams ≈ 22 milliliters
- 8 US fluid drams = 1 US fluid ounce ≈ 30 milliliters
- 1 imperial fluid dram ≈ 3.55 milliliters
- 2 imperial fluid drams ≈ 7.1 milliliters
- 8 imperial fluid drams = 1 imperial fluid ounce ≈ 28.4 milliliters
To picture it in the kitchen, a US fluid dram is a bit less than one teaspoon. A teaspoon is about 5 milliliters, so 1 fluid dram is around three quarters of a teaspoon.
Related Units
- Grain A very tiny unit of mass used in old systems and for bullets. There are 27.34 grains in an avoirdupois dram.
- Ounce A larger unit of mass or volume. There are 16 avoirdupois drams in one ounce of weight, and 8 fluid drams in one fluid ounce.
- Pound A common English unit of mass. One pound equals 16 ounces or 256 avoirdupois drams.
- Gram The basic metric unit of mass. A normal sugar cube weighs about 4 grams, so one sugar cube is a bit more than two avoirdupois drams.
- Milliliter The basic metric unit of liquid volume. One teaspoon is about 5 milliliters.
- Teaspoon A kitchen unit often used in recipes. It is helpful when you convert fluid drams to something you can picture.
FAQs
Is dram a unit of weight or a unit of volume
It can be either. A weight dram measures how heavy something is. A fluid dram measures how much liquid there is. The word is the same, but the meaning depends on context.
Is dram still used today
It is not common in science or trade anymore. However, you may hear it in phrases like a dram of whisky, in old recipes, in historical books and sometimes in shooting sports.
How many drams are in an ounce
For weight there are 16 avoirdupois drams in one standard ounce. For liquids there are 8 fluid drams in one fluid ounce, both in US and in the old British imperial system.
How many grams are in a dram
In the usual English weight system, 1 dram is about 1.77 grams. In the old apothecaries system used by pharmacists, 1 dram is about 3.9 grams. So you must know which system is used.
How many milliliters are in a fluid dram
In the United States, 1 fluid dram is about 3.7 milliliters. In the old British imperial system, 1 fluid dram is about 3.55 milliliters.
What is a dram of whisky
In everyday talk, a dram of whisky just means a small glass of whisky. It is not a strict measurement. The size can change from place to place or person to person.
Is dram part of the metric system
No. Dram belongs to old English style systems of measurement. The metric system uses units like gram, kilogram and milliliter instead.
How do I convert drams in an old recipe
First check if the recipe means weight or liquid. For weight, change the drams into grams or ounces using the values above. For liquid, change the fluid drams into milliliters or teaspoons. Then you can measure with modern tools.
