Dram

WORD OF THE DAY

dram / noun / DRAM

Definition
1a: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce
1b: a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 1/8 ounce
1c: a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce
2a: a small portion of something to drink
2b: a small amount

Examples
The two of them don't have a dram of sense between them, so I'm not surprised that they got into so much trouble.

"Do you know what I just found out? Monkey Shoulder blended Scotch? Totally not made from monkey shoulders. As far as I'm informed, there are no monkey parts whatsoever in this delicious dram."
— Mat Dinsmore, The Coloradoan, 22 Jan. 2014

Did You Know?
In avoirdupois weight—that is, the system of weights commonly used in North America and the United Kingdom—a dram is equal to 1/16 ounce (1.772 grams).
The word dram was borrowed from the Anglo-French and Late Latin word dragme, which was originally used for a silver coin used by the ancient Greeks (now known in English as the drachma) as well as for the coin's approximate weight.
In the 16th century, English speakers began also using dram for a weight of fluid measure (also called a fluid dram) equal to 1/8 fluid ounce, and more loosely for any small portion of something to drink. Dram is also used figuratively for any small amount, in much the same way as grain and ounce.