(n.) Derived from the Scottish-Gaelic term meaning “drink,” a dram originally indicated a liquid measurement equaling one-eighth of an ounce, just larger than the size of a teaspoon. Colloquially, the term was co-opted to mean a small sip or drink of alcohol, usually referring to whiskey. In the 18th century, dram-houses—essentially taverns where patrons could buy liquor—sprang up in England as the production of gin increased. The term “dram shop” remains a legal definition, meaning a bar or tavern in the U.S. today.