apothecaries' unit
- noun
- /əˈpɑːθɪˌkɛriz ˈjunɪt/
- Archaic
:
unidad de apotecario
- Historical recipes for medicines often list ingredients in apothecaries' units such as grains and drams.
Examples
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The doctor instructed the pharmacist to use the apothecaries' unit when preparing the prescription.
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Few modern pharmacies use the apothecaries' unit system, as metric units have become the standard.
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The apothecaries' unit is rarely used today.
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Many pharmacists are familiar with the apothecaries' unit.
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Few modern pharmacies still utilize the apothecaries' unit system, which was once common in dispensing medications.
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When compounding medicines, traditional recipes often specify ingredients in apothecaries' units, including grains.
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The pharmacist confirmed that the apothecaries' unit would be used for accurate measurement in the formulation.
Synonyms
27
4.1
A weight used for gold and in old medicine, equal to one twelfth of a troy pound
1
7.9
A unit of weight for measuring precious metals like gold and silver, about 31 grams
A unit of weight used by old pharmacists that equals 480 grains
Surface Forms
Morphology
apothecaries' + unit
The phrase is a straightforward possessive composition of 'apothecaries'' (apothecaries/pharmacists) + 'unit' (a measurement), so a learner who knows both words would infer it denotes a measurement used by apothecaries or in pharmacy. Specific historical details (exact ounce/grain conversions) are specialized knowledge and not derivable from the parts, but the core referent is fully compositional and immediately understandable.
Etymology
Apothecaries' unit comes from old pharmacists called apothecaries, who used a special unit of weight to measure tiny amounts of ingredients for medicines. So apothecaries' unit means 'a measure of weight used in pharmacy'.