dram

1

In the United States, and formerly in other English-speaking countries, a unit of mass = 1/16 ounce avoirdupois = 27.343 75 grains = 1.771 845 195 312 5 grams. Symbol, dr or dr(av.). In the United States the dram continues to be used in such activities as reloading ammunition and weighing boxers. In the United Kingdom, the Weights and Measures Act of 1985 made the dram illegal in trade.

2

Two units of mass in English-speaking countries, 14th–20th centuries, both = 60 grains = 3.887 934 6 grams, but with different names:

in troy weight, the troy dram, ¹⁄₉₆th of the troy pound. Symbol, dr (troy).
in Apothecaries’ weight, the apothecaries’ dram, 1/96th of the apothecaries’ pound (which is identical to the troy pound). Symbol, dr ap, dr (apoth), dr (ap) or .

In the United States, these units were called drams, but elsewhere they were usually called drachms.

3

In United States apothecaries’ measure, a unit of liquid capacity, the fluid dram, ¹⁄₈ of a U.S. fluid ounce, about 3.697 milliliters. Symbol, fl dr or f . This unit is not the same as the fluid drachm of Great Britain. See apothecaries' measure.

4

In England and the United States, a system for specifying the fineness of thrown silk yarn, such as silk sewing thread. In this system, a yarn’s fineness is the weight of 1,000 yards expressed in drams, for example, “Number 1 dram silk.”

5

In Cyprus, 19th century, a unit of mass, 1/400th of an oke, about 3.175 grams (about 0.112 ounces avoirdupois).

6

In Persia, first quarter of the 20th century, the name given to the gram during the country’s conversion to the metric system.