Drachm
/drækm/noun
A small unit of weight or medicine, historically also a coin or monetary unit.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from Greek δραχμή (drachmḗ), a term tied to a “handful” of six obols, showing how money once grew out of a grasp of metal rather than abstract numbers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dregʰ-
“to grasp, hold”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δραχμή (drachmḗ)
“a handful; later a coin or unit of weight”
Late Latin
Latin
dragma
“a drachma, a small weight or coin”
Old French
Old French
drame
“a drachm or small weight”
Middle English
English
drachme
“a small weight, especially in apothecaries' measure”
Modern English
English
drachm
“a unit of weight or medicine; also an old coin or monetary unit”