drachma
/'drækmə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A former basic unit of money in Greece: The drachma was the official currency of Greece for much of its modern history until it was replaced by the euro in 2002.
- A unit of apothecary weight: A historical unit of mass used in pharmacy, equal to one eighth of an ounce or approximately 60 grains (about 3.888 grams).
Usage Examples
- Noun (Currency):
- Before adopting the euro, prices in Greece were listed in drachma.
- The old coin collection included several silver drachmas from ancient times.
- Noun (Weight):
- The ancient recipe called for one drachma of the medicinal herb.
- Apothecaries once measured powders using scruples and drachmas.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Numismatic Context: The term is often used when discussing economic history, classical antiquity, or coin collecting.
- The Athenian silver drachma was a widely traded coin in the ancient Mediterranean.
- Figurative Use for Small Amount: Rarely, it can be used figuratively to mean a very small sum of money.
- He wouldn't give a drachma for that old story. (Implies he wouldn't pay even a small, worthless amount for it.)
Variants and Related Words
- Drachmae (n): An alternative plural form, especially common in historical or academic contexts referring to the ancient currency.
- The hoard contained hundreds of drachmae.
- Drachm (n): A variant spelling, more commonly used for the unit of weight.
- The drachm was a standard apothecary measure.
Synonyms
- Currency Sense: Greek currency (historical), coin (specific).
- Weight Sense: Apothecaries' drachm, dram (a closely related unit).
Notes on Different Meanings
- The two primary meanings (currency and weight) belong to entirely different contexts—economics/finance and historical metrology/pharmacy, respectively. The word itself is the same, but the meaning is determined by the topic of discussion.
Noun
- formerly the basic unit of money in Greece
- a unit of apothecary weight equal to an eighth of an ounce or to 60 grains