What Is Minim (Us)?
The minim (US) is a very small unit for liquid volume. It was used mainly by doctors and pharmacists in the past to measure medicine. Today, it is almost never used, and people use milliliters or teaspoons instead.
Definition
A minim (US) measures a tiny amount of liquid.
- 1 minim (US) is equal to about 0.0616 milliliters (mL).
- 1 US fluid dram is equal to 60 minims.
- 1 US fluid ounce is equal to 480 minims.
So a minim is a very small part of a fluid ounce. It is used to count drops of liquid medicine very carefully.
History / Origin
The minim comes from old medicine measuring systems used in Europe and later in the United States. Doctors and pharmacists needed a way to measure tiny amounts of strong liquid drugs safely.
The minim was part of the apothecaries system of measurement, which also used units like the fluid dram and fluid ounce. Over time, this system was replaced by the metric system, which uses milliliters and liters. Because of this change, the minim slowly stopped being used in normal medical practice.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The minim (US) has a short way to write it.
- Common abbreviation min
- Full name minim (US)
Old books sometimes used a special handwritten symbol, but in modern writing and on computers it is usually written as min.
Current Use Around the World
Today, the minim (US) is rarely used.
- Modern hospitals and pharmacies use milliliters (mL), not minims.
- In everyday cooking, people use teaspoons and tablespoons instead.
- The minim may still appear in some old medical books, historical recipes, or on antique measuring tools.
When people today see the word minim in an old text, they usually convert it to milliliters to understand the amount.
Example Conversions
Here are some simple ways to change minims (US) into other units and back.
Minim (US) to Milliliters
- 1 minim (US) ≈ 0.0616 mL
- 10 minims (US) ≈ 0.616 mL
- 50 minims (US) ≈ 3.08 mL
- 100 minims (US) ≈ 6.16 mL
Milliliters to Minims (US)
Since 1 minim ≈ 0.0616 mL:
- 1 mL ≈ 16.2 minims (US)
- 2 mL ≈ 32.4 minims (US)
- 5 mL ≈ 81 minims (US)
Minims (US) and Common Kitchen Measures
Using US measures:
- 1 US teaspoon ≈ 4.93 mL ≈ about 80 minims (US)
- 1 US tablespoon = 3 teaspoons ≈ about 240 minims (US)
- 1 US fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons ≈ 480 minims (US)
These are helpful for understanding how small a minim really is. About 80 minims fit into one teaspoon.
Related Units
The minim (US) is connected to other volume units, especially those used for liquids and medicine.
- Milliliter (mL) modern metric unit used for medicine and drinks
- Liter (L) larger metric unit for liquids
- US fluid dram equal to 60 minims
- US fluid ounce equal to 480 minims
- Teaspoon (US) common kitchen unit, about 80 minims
- Drop not a fixed unit, but often close to 1 minim in old medical writing
- Imperial minim the British version, slightly smaller than the US minim
FAQs
What is a minim (US) in simple words?
A minim (US) is a tiny volume unit once used for liquid medicine. It is about the size of one small drop and is worth about 0.0616 milliliters.
Is a minim the same as a drop?
In old medical books, a minim was often treated like one drop. In real life, drop size can change with the liquid and the dropper, so a drop is not always exactly one minim.
Is the US minim the same as the UK or imperial minim?
No. The US minim is based on US fluid units. The imperial minim used in the UK is based on imperial fluid units and is slightly smaller, about 0.0592 milliliters instead of 0.0616 milliliters.
Do doctors still use minims today?
Almost never. Modern doctors and pharmacists use the metric system, mainly milliliters, because it is easier, clearer, and the same in most countries.
How many minims are in a teaspoon?
There are about 80 minims (US) in one US teaspoon. This number is an approximation but is close enough to show the scale.
Why should I learn about the minim?
Learning about the minim helps you read old medical recipes, historical documents, and older science books. It also helps you understand how measuring systems have changed over time.