Convert Cubic Decimeter (dm³) to Dram (dr) instantly.
About these units
Cubic Decimeter (dm³)
A cubic decimeter is defined as 1 liter, since it is the volume of a cube 10 centimeters per side. Though equivalent to the liter, dm³ is often used in engineering and physics because it fits neatly into the SI geometric framework. This unit is convenient when working with densities (kg/dm³), where the equivalence of 1 dm³ and 1 L simplifies many calculations involving fluids and materials. While the liter dominates everyday usage, the cubic decimeter is favored in technical contexts where a strong geometric interpretation is needed—for example, in tank sizing, volumetric flow calculations, or experiments involving water displacement.
Dram (dr)
The fluid dram is a small historical unit equal to 1/8 of a US fluid ounce or 3.6967 mL (US), with slightly different imperial values. It originated in apothecaries and early pharmaceutical texts, where drams measured potent liquid medicines, tinctures, and extracts. In daily life, drams appeared in old cocktail recipes, medicinal syrups, and household remedies. However, the inconsistency between US and UK drams, along with the rise of the metric system, pushed it out of modern use. Today, the dram survives mostly in whiskey culture—where a "dram" informally means a small pour, not a precise measurement—and in historical studies of medicine.