What is "fluid dram"

Fluid \Flu"id\, n. A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among themselves. Note: Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases as species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy, the term was sometimes applied to electricity and magnetism, as in phrases electric fluid, magnetic fluid, though not strictly appropriate; such usage has disappeared. Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm, a measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce. Fluid ounce.

1. In the United States, a measure of capacity, in apothecaries' or wine measure, equal to one sixteenth of a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters. This, for water, is about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6 grains.

2. In England, a measure of capacity equal to the twentieth part of an imperial pint. For water, this is the weight of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains.

   Fluids of the body. (Physiol.) The circulating blood and lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle serum are the more important fluids of the body. The tissues themselves contain a large amount of combined water, so much, that an entire human body dried in vacuo with a very moderate degree of heat gives about 66 per cent of water.

   Burning fluid, Elastic fluid, Electric fluid, Magnetic fluid, etc. See under Burning, Elastic, etc.

Dram \Dram\ (dr[a^]m), n. [OF. drame, F. drachme, L. drachma, drachm, drachma, fr. Gr. drachmh`, prop., a handful, fr. dra`ssesqai to grasp. Cf. Drachm, Drachma.]

1. A weight; in Apothecaries' weight, one eighth part of an ounce, or sixty grains; in Avoirdupois weight, one sixteenth part of an ounce, or 27.34375 grains.

2. A minute quantity; a mite.

   Were I the chooser, a dram of well-doing should be preferred before many times as mush the forcible hindrance of evildoing.
   --Milton.

3. As much spirituous liquor as is usually drunk at once; as, a dram of brandy; hence, a potation or potion; as, a dram of poison.
   --Shak.

4. (Numis.) A Persian daric.
   --Ezra ii. 69.

   Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm. See under Fluid.

1. n. a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 60 minims or 3.5516 cubic centimeters [syn: fluidram, fluid drachm, drachm]

2. a unit of capacity or volume in the apothecary system equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce [syn: fluidram, fluid drachm, drachm]