dram

Etymology 1

From Middle English dragme, dramme, from Old French dragme, drame, from Late Latin dragma, from Latin drachma, from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight; a handful”). Doublet of drachma, diram, dirham, dirhem, and adarme.

noun

1. (units of measurement) A small unit of weight, variously:
   1. Alternative form of drachm (“One sixteenth of an ounce avoirdupois (1.77 g; symbol: ℨ or ʒ)”).
   2. (pharmacy) Alternative form of drachm (“One eighth of an ounce apothecary (3.89 g; symbol: ℨ or ʒ)”).
   3. (now uncommon) Synonym of dirhem: a former Turkish unit of weight (variously 1.5–3.5 g).
      Dram (49·5 grains), 100=chequi, 4=oka (2·8286 ℔); dram (49·5 grains), 180=rotl, 100=kintal or kantar (127·29 ℔). 1888, W.M.F. Petrie, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XXIV, s.v. "Weights and Measures"
   4. (obsolete) Synonym of drachma: a former Greek unit of weight (about 4.3 g).
2. (by extension) Any similarly minute quantity, (now particularly) a small amount of strong alcohol or poison.
   a dram of brandy
   Oh, brethren, if you wants more preachin' Save a little dram for me (Glory hallelujah!) 1920, Marshall Walker, Will E. Skidmore (lyrics and music), “Save a Little Dram for Me”performed by Bert Williams
3. (historical, mining) A cart formerly used to haul coal in coal mines.
   The rolling stock, consisting entirely of four-wheel open trucks, or drams, was broken up at Bonvilles Court Colliery. 1946 November and December, “The Saundersfoot Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 340
4. (obsolete) Synonym of drachma">drachma: a Greek silver coin weighing one drachma">drachma; other similar coins.
   They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams [i.e., the Persian daric] of gold, and five thousand pound of silver […] The Bible (King James Version), Ezra 2:69

verb

1. (dated, intransitive) To drink drams.
   What I contend against is, this dramming, dramming, dramming, at all hours of the day. There are some men who take a glass at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and at four in the afternoon. 1857, Samuel Griswold Goodrich, Recollections of a Lifetime
2. (dated, transitive) To ply with drams of drink.

Etymology 2

From Armenian դրամ (dram), from Middle Persian 𐭦𐭥𐭦𐭭 (zʿzn /⁠drahm⁠/), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “unit of weight, a handful”), from δράσσομαι (drássomai, “I hold, seize”).

noun

1. (numismatics) The currency of Armenia, divided into 100 luma.