fluid drachm
Học thuậtThân thiện
A pharmacist carefully measures one fluid drachm of medicine into a small glass vial.
Definition
- Noun:
- A unit of capacity or volume in the apothecary system: A fluid drachm is a unit of liquid volume, historically used in pharmacy, equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce.
- A British imperial capacity measure: A fluid drachm is also a British imperial unit for measuring liquid or dry capacity, equivalent to 60 minims or approximately 3.5516 cubic centimeters.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The old recipe called for two fluid drachms of the tincture.
- In the imperial system, a fluid drachm is a very small unit of volume.
Advanced Usage
- Historical and Specialized Context: The term "fluid drachm" is primarily used in historical, pharmaceutical, or specific technical contexts related to old measurement systems. It is not commonly used in everyday modern language.
- Apothecaries would carefully measure ingredients using fluid drachms and minims.
Variants and Related Words
- Fluid dram: An alternative, more common spelling for "fluid drachm." Both terms refer to the same unit of measurement.
- Drachm: Can refer to a unit of weight (dram) in the avoirdupois system or a unit of volume. The "fluid" qualifier specifies it as a measure of capacity.
- Minim: A smaller unit of volume in the same systems; 60 minims equal 1 fluid drachm.
- Fluid ounce: A larger unit; 8 fluid drachms equal 1 fluid ounce.
Synonyms
- Fluid dram: The direct synonym with identical meaning.
- Dram (when context clarifies volume): In contexts where it is clear the measurement is for capacity, not weight.
Notes on Meaning
- Apothecary System vs. Imperial System: The fluid drachm exists in both the older apothecaries' system and the British imperial system, with very similar but not always perfectly identical values. The definition provided consolidates these as a single, closely related unit.
- Obsolete Nature: This unit is largely obsolete, having been replaced by metric units (milliliters) in most scientific, medical, and international contexts.
A pharmacist carefully measures one fluid drachm of medicine into a small glass vial.
Noun
- a unit of capacity or volume in the apothecary system equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce
- a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 60 minims or 3.5516 cubic centimeters